Archive for the 'Frost Hardy Plants' Category

This delightful shrub had only been a name and description until I came across it growing at the entrance gate to Medika Art Gallery at Blyth in the mid north of South Australia. The owner of the gallery is also a keen propagator of Australian native plants.

Eucalyptus pimpiniana grows to about 2 metres. It grows in western South Australia where it is classed as rare. Flowering is from December to June and the Honeyeaters love it. One book I read says that frost tolerance is not fully tested. In Blyth it would have survived very severe frost this last winter. This is a plant for dry areas and full sunshine and also alkaline soil. I think it would also make a magnificent potted plant in a large tub.

I found this tree flowering in my fence line planting and as a street tree in one of the smaller nearby towns. Eucalyptus kingsmillii is a Western Australian species which is mallee shrub or small tree 4-8m tall by 3-6m wide.

We had Mistletoe birds nesting in one of the trees in the windbreak. It was the first native bird to nest in a tree which we had planted. After a storm one day I discovered that the neighbour had found the nest about to collapse and it had eggs in it. She found a stocking and slid a length of it over the nest and tied it securely to the tree. The birds continued to sit and raise the chicks.

Our plants have brilliant red flowers but apparently it is often yellow. They originate in very arid areas and need good drainage and a warm aspect. They are drought tolerant and moderately frost tolerant. Eucalyptus kingsmillii is highly suited to gardens, parks and roadside planting. It can be cut for floral decorations. Apparently this is a plant grown in California.

• A photo and article on Mistletoe Birds can be found here.

We think that this tree is Eucalyptus ficifolia crossed with Eucalyptus pachyphylla. The name probably should be Corymbia ficifolia hybrid but I cannot get used to calling Eucalypts by any other name.)

This tree is obviously drought and frost hardy here and grows in alkaline soil, which breaks all the rules if the books are to be believed. The issue is, I think, that many species are quite adaptable and noone has the full story on all species. This tree is one of those. It has large fruits which are urn shaped and very decorative. Many use them for crafts and they are fun to create things with children.

Around town the many coloured forms of Eucalyptus ficifolia are coming into full bloom. This is a spectacular plant in flower. Amazingly it grows very well here although probably not as large as it would be in better conditions. Some plants show some yellowing due to the lime in the soil but many seem to grow beyond the lime.

The colours range from deep dark red through vermillion, letter box red, orange, tangerine and shades in between and white. I haven’t seen pink but I believe there is that colour form also. This is one of the plants which, when grown from seed, cannot be guaranteed to give the colour required. Some clever people have been trying to graft Eucalypts and strike them also. I’ve read some articles on the techniques but have not had the inclination to try.

As we drove in to the Retirement Village last week I saw this lovely mallee growing on the curb. When I got out of the car to take a photo, I realised that it was one of the colour forms of Eucalyptus calycogona, a very hardy small tree which often has a mallee form. The tree usually flowers in the winter- spring period so I was surprised to see the prolific flowering of this one. It is certainly an asset to have summer flowering native plants.

More information about this plant can be found here and here.