Eucalyptus dives

Cultivation Details

Eucalyptus dives is native to the temperate climate of southeastern Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 1,300 metres. Summers are warm with a dry season of 3 - 4 months, with most rainfall occurring in the winter months. Mean annual rainfall is within the range 625 - 1,250mm; mean maximum of the hottest month is 23°c; mean minimum of the coldest month is 0 - 5°c, and there are generally around 15 - 80 frosts a year^[1]. Eucalyptus species generally require a sunny position, succeeding in a wide range of well-drained, circumneutral soils of low to moderate fertility^[2]. The plant develops a lignotuber - this is a woody tuber that starts to develop near the base of seedlings and can become massive in the mature plants of some species. It possesses embedded vegetative buds, allowing the plant to regenerate following crown destruction, for example by fire^[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^[2]. 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^[2].