Eucalyptus Moon Lagoon - Fine leaf Mallee

Eucalyptus 'Moon Lagoon' is well suited for small gardens and its beautiful foliage is highly valued in floristry. It is a graceful bush that changes appearance throughout the seasons. In spring, young shoots give rise to young silver leaves, above blue-green foliage carried by reddish branches. Not very tall and tolerant of pruning, it is easy to renew this spectacle every year by pruning the branches at the end of winter. Untouched, this eucalyptus blooms from spring to summer. It produces small clusters of white pompom-shaped flowers, highly fragrant and attractive to bees.

Eucalyptus 'Moon Lagoon' is a natural hybrid native to Western Australia. It is the result of cross-breeding between Eucalyptus kruseana and Eucalyptus latens. Belonging to the Myrtaceae family, it is more commonly known as Hybrid Mallee with Fine Leaves. In its natural environment, it grows on sandy-clay soils, composed of yellow sand or laterite, under a temperate climate with hot and dry summers, of Mediterranean type. It is called 'mallee' in Australia, due to its vegetation formed by several stems starting from the ground. It will reach a height of less than 10 metres (33 feet). Growing rather slowly, this eucalyptus forms a tuft of about 2 to 3 metres (7 to 10 feet) in height and 3 metres (10 feet) in width. It usually grows on several stems starting from a lignotuber located just below the surface of the soil. When young, it develops reddish branches and bears juvenile foliage composed of elliptical, rounded leaves, 3 to 5 cm (1 to 2in) long and 2 to 4 cm (1 to 2in) wide, without petioles, silvery blue, bordered by a pale violet edge. As it grows, the leaves become lanceolate, narrow, pointed at the end, 4 to 6 cm (2in) long and 0.5 to 1.5 cm (0.2 to 1in) wide, shiny on both sides, a lovely water green colour. The leaves are leathery and slightly aromatic, giving off a scent of menthol when crushed, they are rich in eucalyptol. Flowering occurs in spring, between April and June, under our climates, on plants that are a few years old and have not been pruned. The inflorescence, arranged in the axil of the leaves, is composed of small white flowers gathered in a tight cluster, delicately scented and very attractive to bees.

This eucalyptus has a lignotuber, which is a swelling rich in starch that forms on the roots just below the surface of the soil. This organ allows it to regrow from the stump in case of severe frost, fire or severe pruning. The plant also produces numerous shoots from dormant buds located under its bark, which allows it to respond very well to coppicing, pollarding or more severe pruning operations.

Eucalyptus 'Moon Lagoon' thrives in the sun in well-drained soil. Tolerant of summer drought, it requires little care once established. With little or no irrigation, this eucalyptus adapts well to hot and dry summers, wind and sea spray. Tolerant of pruning, it is easy to shape into a dense and compact ball. Colourful all year round, it brings animation to a shrub bed in association with Grevillea, Callistemon (Bottlebrush), Westringia fruticosa (Australian Rosemary), Leptsospermum, Restio tetraphyllus, Cordylines... Its evergreen foliage allows it to be used in hedges, windbreaks or screens.