A beautiful, showy tree native to Australia, the Snow Gum eucalyptus is a tough, easy to grow tree that produces lovely white flowers and grows in a wide variety of conditions. Keep reading to learn about Snow Gum eucalyptus care and how to grow a Snow Gum eucalyptus tree in the garden.
Eucalyptus Pauciflora Information
What is Eucalyptus pauciflora? The name pauciflora, which means “few flowers,” is actually a misnomer that can be traced back to some questionable botany in the 19th century. Pauciflora Snow Gum trees actually produce an abundance of attractive white flowers in the spring and early summer (October to January in their native Australia).
The trees are evergreen and hardy down to USDA zone 7. The leaves are long, glossy, and dark green. They contain oil glands that make them glisten in the sunlight in a very distinctive way. The bark is smooth in shades of white, gray, and occasionally red. The bark sheds, giving it an attractive mottled appearance in various colors.
Snow Gum eucalyptus trees vary in size, sometimes growing as tall as 20 feet (6 m.) but sometimes staying small and shrub-like at a mere 4 feet (1.2 m.).
How to Grow a Snow Gum Eucalyptus Tree
Growing Snow Gum eucalyptus is relatively easy. The trees grow well from seeds that come in the form of gum nuts.
They will tolerate a huge range of soils, performing well in clay, loam, and sand. They do prefer slightly acidic to neutral soil. Like many eucalyptus trees, they are very drought tolerant and can recover well from fire damage.
Snow Gum eucalyptus do best in full sun, in a spot that is somewhat sheltered from the wind. Because of the oil in them, the leaves have a very pleasant fragrance. They are, however, toxic, and should never be eaten.