Eucalyptus sturgissiana

Eucalyptus sturgissiana is native to southeastern Australia, an area with cool winters and hot summers. It forms a tall bush, reaching 5 metres (16 feet 5 inches) in height, with highly decorative bluish-green juvenile foliage. It has an airy and delicate habit, and it is capable of regrowing from the stump to form a more compact plant after a fire. Its grey-to-brown bark, which peels off in flakes, is also ornamental, more so than its fairly insignificant white flowering. Well suited to small gardens, it will grow in mild areas where frost is moderate. An uncommon bush, to be planted in a sunny location.

Eucalyptus sturgissiana belongs to the large Myrtaceae family, which is rich in nearly 6,000 plant species from tropical and warm temperate regions. Many genera are cultivated as ornamental plants: Callistemon or bottlebrush, Chamelaucium, the wax flower, Myrtle, and many Eucalyptus, a prolific genus comprising nearly 800 species. E. sturgissiana is a species native to southeastern Australia, specifically New South Wales, where it is mainly found in the vast Morton National Park (almost 200,000 hectares, 170 km (105.6 mi) south of Sydney). It mainly grows on sandstone plateaus, not far from the coast, but never directly on the coast. Its species name comes from the pastor James H. Sturgiss (1890-1983), who was the first to discover it. Its vernacular name, Ettrema mallee, indicates that it is a small-sized shrub (less than 10 metres (32 feet 10 inches)), usually with multiple trunks, belonging to the mallee group (Ettrema is the name of an area in Morton National Park).
This Eucalyptus forms a bush about 5 metres (16 feet 5 inches) high and 3 metres (9 feet 10 inches) wide, often with a somewhat gangly appearance in nature. There are usually several main stems that start from the base of the plant, producing trunks of small diameter. They bear grey to brown bark, which peels off in flakes, and then green and pinkish hues can occasionally intertwine, providing an interesting aesthetic touch. This plant has significant regenerative capacity thanks to its lignotuber. This is an underground swelling rich in starch, capable of producing numerous shoots if the aboveground part of the plant is destroyed (typically by fire). The regrowth is denser than the original plant after this. This characteristic, possessed by several Eucalyptus species, is particularly interesting from an ornamental point of view because it allows for severe pruning, which limits the plant's development, encourages branching and stimulates the formation of juvenile foliage, which is often more decorative than adult foliage.
In E. sturgissiana, the juvenile leaves have a beautiful glaucous green to greyish-green colour and a more or less heart-shaped rounded form, with the tip forming a wedge. Sessile, they are opposite on the branches, each measuring 5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 in) long and 3 to 7.5 cm (1.2 to 3 in) wide. They often persist in the crown but can also give way to adult foliage consisting of green lanceolate leaves, 5 to 10 cm (2 to 3.9 in) long and narrow (1 to 1.2 cm (0.4 to 0.5 in)), alternately arranged on the branches. Often slightly shiny, they are rich in glands containing essential oils.
The bush produces small compound umbels of 7 small white flowers, usually in May. The fruits (capsules) that follow contain dark brown to black seeds, 1 to 2 mm (0 to 0.1 in) long.
Native to warm summer and cool winter climates, this species can grow in mild climates.

Eucalyptus sturgissiana is probably not the most ornamental, but its compact size, ability to withstand pruning, and attractive juvenile foliage colour make it deserving of a place in the garden. The exotic appearance of this Eucalyptus pairs well with plants such as Eucryphia lucida Ballerina, a shrub with comparable hardiness interesting for its long summer pink flowering. Drimys Red Spice, a Tasmanian Pepperbush with elegant dark green persistent foliage that contrasts pleasantly with the red branches, is also perfect for these types of climates. Japanese Medlar (Eriobotrya japonica), with its beautiful dark green veined foliage, stands out against the white to beige flowering and especially the edible and very sweet orange fruits.