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Myrtaceae FAMILY

Eucalyptus fastigata

Eucalyptus fastigata

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
GrowthFast

Eucalyptus fastigata is native to the temperate climate of southeastern Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 1,200 metres. Summers are hot and can be dry, with most rainfall occurring in the winter months. Mean annual rainfall is within the range 750 - 1,200mm, with some of it falling as snow; mean maximum temperature of the hottest month is 27°c; mean minimum temperature of the coldest month is °c, and there are generally around 50 - 100 frosts a year[1]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -8°c, but young growth is more tender and can be severely damaged at -1°c[2]. This is one of the most frost hardy Eucalypts in the forests of its natural occurrence, but it has not scored well in overseas frost tests[1]. Requires a sunny position, succeeding in a range of well-drained soils of moderate to high fertility[2]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 7[2]. Annual wood production potential is 21-28 cubic metres per hectare[2]. The tree is suitable for cultivation in suitable localities. It is hardy and handles well in nurseries and at planting out. It was planted on a small scale in New Zealand in plantations of Pinus radiata. Each grew at approximately the same rate and the resulting mixed forest is very attractive. There are also much more extensive successful pure plantations in New Zealand and excellent single-tree or line-plantings. It is planted bare-rooted after careful root-pruning in regions of high rainfall and succeeds well; it is not preferred over Eucalyptus regnans but is recognized as hardier[1]. The tree usually coppices well. When destroyed by fire in Australia it nearly always recovers with the aid of coppice shoots, so long as the old burnt trunks are cut near the ground[1]. 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[3]. 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[3].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow late winter/early spring in a sunny position in a greenhouse[4, 5, 6]. Species that come from high altitudes appreciate 6 - 8 weeks cold stratification at 2°c[3]. 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[3]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Eucalyptus+fastigata>

Pollinators

Bees, Insects

References

  1. [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. [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. [3]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.
  4. [4]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.
  5. [5]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.
  6. [6]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.
  7. [7]Flora of New South Wales — http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/floraonline.htm ↩︎An on-line resource giving a brief botanical description of all the native plants of New South Wales, their habitat and range, together with diagrams and photographs of the plants.
  8. [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.
  9. [9]Australian Timber handbook — Wallis N.K. · Angus & Robertson; Sydney · 1970 · ISBN 0-207-12053-6 ↩︎A comprehensive book about the uses of timber in Australia, it includes a section with information on the properties of the more commonly used woods in Australia