There are said to be some five hundred species of Eucalyptus, but the following would be our selection of the hardier and ornamental varieties, some hardy down to minus 15°C and some to minus 18°C. Others are more suitable for conservatories or mild locations. Grown readily from seed (this is the only way to propagate them as cuttings are almost impossible to strike), and best planted the following year while still young. Eucalyptus do not like root disturbance and should be carefully pricked out, either very early at the two leaf stage or later, when the plant will handle the shock better. They will need staking and are notorious for falling over, partly because of their fast growing nature and being evergreen they suffer from winter storms. The trick is to stake them very low down allowing them to bend and strengthen but holding the roots steady.
Be aware they grow VERY LARGE VERY QUICKLY. Do not plant one of these near your house other than for a few years of summer bedding. On the other hand although they grow tall, I find that the canopy is not oppressive, letting in plenty of light enhanced by reflections of the silvery foliage. All you will need to complete the picture is a Koala Bear!
Germination of eucalyptus seed (most very small in size) can often be erratic and patchy, but on the other hand you don’t need many! If you see Eucalyptus trees in your local garden centre growing tall and above 4ft tall do not buy them, they are best planted young and small which gives them the best chance to develop a stronger root system. To my mind seed is a really good option, easy to raise for stronger plants and for a wider selection of varieties.
PLEASE NOTE: If the Seeds per Pkt gives you a count the variety will be from "Clean" seed, if it says Pr Pkt, the seed will be collected including some chaff and difficult to count. The Measure should be enough for 10 or more plants but will vary depending on the ratio of seeds to chaff in any one variety mix.