Eucalyptus glaucescens Tinderry

Eucalyptus glaucescens Tinderry forms a beautiful tree appreciated for its particularly decorative bark and its evergreen foliage with bluish colourings. It is recognisable by the white wax that coats the branches, the flower buds and the fruits. Its origins from the Australian Alps give it vitality and robustness, but also excellent resistance to cold. This mountain variety tolerates limestone, but requires moist soil, not too dry in summer. Fast-growing, its installation in the garden requires the choice of a suitable location. In a large garden, it quickly assumes the posture of a beautiful specimen, not very demanding and attractive all year round.

Eucalyptus glaucescens is a beautiful tree with fairly rapid growth, of variable size depending on where it is located, between 15 and 40 metres (49 feet and 131 feet). However, in our climate, it rarely exceeds 15 metres (49 feet) in height. More commonly named Tingiringi Gum Tree, it belongs to the Myrtaceae family. The species glaucescens is native to the mountainous areas of far south-eastern Australia, on both sides of the border between New South Wales and the state of Victoria in the high altitude areas represented by The Great Dividing Range, the Erica, Hotham, Brumby Point, Tingiringi or Tinderry and Tidbinbilla Ranges near Canberra. The glaucous foliage colour of this eucalyptus gives the species its name: glaucescens, which comes from the Latin "glaucus" for the blue-green colour and "-escens" which means "becoming".

The Tinderry variety is named after this region of mountains in southeastern Australia, where it originates. In these regions with a harsher climate, it is found on well-drained granitic soils. Vigorous and fast-growing, this gum tree develops several trunks from its base, which can reach about 15 m (49 ft) in height and 7 to 9 m (23 to 30ft) in width at maturity depending on the type of soil and climate. Its branching framework, around one or more trunks, forms a wide, fairly dense crown, with a spread-out habit. A well-established subject can withstand brief frosts of -15°C (5 °F), but this varies depending on the age of the tree, the duration of the frost and the rise in daytime temperatures, as well as the soil moisture.

When young, the Eucalyptus glaucescens Tinderry displays many pink and reddish branches bearing juvenile foliage, densely implanted, composed of rounded silver-blue leaves. At this stage of rapid growth, the bark becomes silver-green. Then as it develops, the leaves take a lanceolate shape, 8 to 15 cm (3.1 to 5.9 in) long and 3 cm (1.2 in) wide, shiny or dull, glaucous (green to blue-green). The tough leaves are slightly aromatic and give off fruity aromas when crushed, rich in eucalyptol, As it ages, the bark of a chalky white on its upper part, peels off in long strips, revealing a smooth, multicoloured underlayer of coffee, pewter, orange, green, cream and salmon pink. The mature bark of the lower part of the tree is often fibrous and coffee-coloured. Flowering occurs in February-March in our climates, on plants a few years old. The inflorescence, borne on a short petiole, is composed of 3 flower buds, glaucous or yellow-green, cylindrical from 3 to 5 mm (0.1 to 0.2 in), delicately scented and very attractive to bees.

This eucalyptus has a lignotuber, formed by a swelling rich in starch which forms on the roots just below the surface of the soil. This organ allows it to grow again from the stump in case of severe frost, fire or pruning to the ground. The plant also produces numerous shoots from dormant buds located under its bark, which allows it to respond very well to pollarding, topping or more severe pruning. Note that the alpine gum tree withstands snow, wind and sea spray. Its not very extensive root system is less dangerous for buildings and makes less competition to other garden plants. And its vegetation offers only very light shade.

The Tingiringi Gum Tree finds a place in the garden planted alone in a clear space to appreciate the beauty of its bark and the elegance of its foliage. In order to highlight its architectural habit, it is grown on a single trunk or a multi-trunk. It withstands both semi-mountainous and semi-arid climates in summer, and its resistance to cold will go down to -15°C (5°F). Comfortable in damp soils, but not marshy, it has the ability to dry them out.