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davidfromdetroit

eucalyptus

davidfromdetroit
14 years ago

Is there a dwarf variety of eucalyptus and, if so, does it still offer the pleasant eucalyptus scent?

Comments (2)

  • brandon7 TN_zone7
    14 years ago

    David,

    My answer may seem silly or overly complex, but I really am unsure of exactly what you are asking. I think pinning down some terms may be necessary for a meaningful answer. The answer to your question, no matter which way you meant it, is "yes", but I'm unsure if that really is the answer you want.

    The term dwarf means relatively slower growing than other related individuals. Dwarf trees can actually be very large as mature specimens. Are you really wanting a eucalyptus that stays "houseplant" size, as opposed to one that could be technically referred to as dwarf?

    A variety is a secondary taxonomic rank beneath the rank of genus and above that of forma. Characteristic differences that define a variety are inheritable, and seedling offspring are produced true-to-type. Are you specifically interested in varieties or are you just wanting to find a small eucalyptus (whether species, variety, cultivar, etc.)? Some eucalyptus species do have a much much smaller mature size than other species. There are natural varieties of some eucalyptus species that do grow much slower, and in some cases result in smaller trees, than typical members of those same species. There are also eucalyptus cultivars that have been developed to result in relatively small trees.

    I'm going to guess that you are looking for a eucalyptus that you can grow in a container so that it can be protected from the colder climate in Detroit. If so, you may want to ask for recommendation for a eucalyptus, or type of eucalyptus, that would stay under x (whatever height you require). And, if it were me, I'd probably ask this question in the tree forum. There are a few people there that are very familiar with many types of eucalyptus and could recommend something useful to your specific application. Also, if this is what you are after, you may want to state that in your post so that people could recommend something that would work well in that application (some types may be less easy to grow in these conditions than other types).

  • davidfromdetroit
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Hi Brandon,

    Thanks for the response. To clear things up, yes, I am looking for something that I can keep in a container and take indoors during the harsh Michigan winters. So, to that end, I would prefer a tree that either doesn't grow beyond 10 feet or, as you describe, does become big but grows slowly thus giving me a number of years to enjoy it before it outgrows my house.

    But if possible, I would also prefer a tree that has leaves that are perhaps smaller in size than what a "typical" eucalyptus might have.

    Lastly, I didn't see a "tree" forum so I will revisit and post there...

    David