Eucalyptus cladocalyx

Cultivation Details

Eucalyptus cladocalyx is native to the warm temperate climate of southeastern Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 600 metres. Summers are warm to hot and dry, with most rainfall occurring in the winter months and a dry season of 4 - 5 months in the warmer part of the year. Mean annual rainfall is within the range 375 - 625mm; mean maximum of the hottest month is 23 - 30°c; mean minimum of the coldest month is 4 - 8°c, and there are generally up to 20 frosts a year^[1]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -4°c, but young growth is more tender and can be severely damaged at 0°c^[2]. Requires a sunny position, succeeding in a range of light to medium-textured, well-drained soils of low to moderate fertility^[2]. Found in the wild on soils that are mainly skeletal or podzolic and rather shallow^[1]. Tolerant of salt-laden winds^[2]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 6.5, tolerating 5.5 - 7.5^[2]. Established plants are drought tolerant^[2]. The tree coppices well from epicormic buds produced along the trunk^{[1, 3]}. Annual wood production potential is 13 - 22 cubic metres per hectare^[2]. Thousands of hectares of successful coppice forest have been planted in the western and eastern conservancies of the Cape Province in South Africa. It has been successfully used in fairly dry winterrainfall zones of several countries. In Morocco, where over 4,000 ha have been planted, it is considered somewhat more tolerant of aridity and infertile soils than Eucalyptus camaldulensis, although more slow-growing^[1]. Whilst most Eucalyptus species, grown in small numbers outside their native range, can be an attractive and useful addition to the landscape, certain species (including this one) are more problematic. When grown in monocultures, especially outside their native range, they can become an environmental disaster. They are voracious, especially in their use of water; they are allelopathic, inhibiting the growth of the native flora; they reduce habitats for native fauna; and encourage the worst possible attitudes to land use and conservation^[4]. Eucalyptus species have not adopted a deciduous habit and continue to grow until it is too cold for them to do so. This makes them more susceptible to damage from sudden cold snaps. If temperature fluctuations are more gradual, as in a woodland for example, the plants have the opportunity to stop growing and become dormant, thus making them more cold resistant. A deep mulch around the roots to prevent the soil from freezing also helps the trees to survive cold conditions^[4]. Many members of this genus are remarkably adaptable however, and there can be a dramatic increase in the hardiness of subsequent generations from the seed of survivors growing in temperate zones^[4].