Eucalyptus diversicolor
Eucalyptus diversicolor
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Eucalyptus diversicolor is native to the Mediterranean climate of southwestern Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 300 metres. Summers are warm to hot with a dry season of up to 3 months, most rainfall occurs in the winter months. Mean annual rainfall is within the range 1,100 - 1,500mm; mean maximum of the hottest month is 27°c; mean minimum of the coldest month is 8°c, frosts are few and light[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 sandy and sandy loam soils low in nutritive value and deficient in trace elements such as zinc, copper and cobalt[1]. Prefers a pH in the range.5 - 6, tolerating 4.5 - 6.5[2]. This species requires a winter rainfall and a nearly frost-free locality in order to do well. There are few places in the world with planting land with these qualities, however the tree has proved to be excellent in the Knysna area of South Africa as a plantation species used largely for tool handles. It is also a very good park tree in the North Island of New Zealand[1]. The tree produces epicormic buds up the stem, and can resprout from these if the top is damaged by fire or other means[3]. 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].
Propagation
Seed - surface sow late winter/early spring in a sunny position in a greenhouse[5, 6, 7]. Species that come from high altitudes appreciate 6 - 8 weeks cold stratification at 2°c[4]. Pot up the seedlings into individual pots as soon as the second set of seed leaves has developed, if left longer than this they might not move well. Plant out into their permanent positions in early summer and give them some protection from the cold in their first winter. The seed can also be sown in early summer, the young trees being planted in their final positions in late spring of the following year. The seed has a long viability[4]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Eucalyptus+diversicolor>
Pollinators
Bees, Insects
References
- [1]Eucalypts for Planting — Jacobs M.R. · FAO; Rome · 1981 · http://www.fao.org · ISBN 92-5-100570-2 ↩︎An excellent publication, rather dated now but with a wealth of information about the Eucalypts. It can be downloaded from the Internet as a PDF file.
- [2]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
- [3]EUCLID - Eucalypts of Australia — Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Canber · http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org:8080/euclid/data/02050e02-0108-490e-8900-0e0601070d00/media/Html/index.htm ↩︎A website dedicated to the genus Eucalyptus (sensu latu), with descriptions and nomencultural information on all the species.
- [4]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [5]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
- [6]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
- [7]Growing from Seed. Volume 2. — Rice. G. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1988 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.
- [8]Eucalyptus Leaf Oils: Use, Chemistry, Distillation and Marketing — Southwell I.A. · 1992 · https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(92)80403-2 ↩︎An extensive list of Eucalyptus species and their essential oil content.