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Myrtaceae FAMILY

Eucalyptus johnstonii

Eucalyptus johnstonii

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
GrowthSlow

Eucalyptus johnstonii is native to the temperate climate of Tasmania, where it is found at elevations from 500 - 1,000 metres. Rainfall occurs mainly in the winter, with a mean annual rainfall within the range 1,000 - 2,000mm. There are generally around 50 - 90 frosts a year[1]. A fairly hardy species, it tolerates long periods down to -6°c and short periods down to -9°c[2]. Plants are hardy to between -15°c and -20°c according to other reports[3, 4]. Prefers a sunny position in a moderately fertile well-drained moisture retentive circum-neutral soil[3]. Dislikes clay or chalk soils but succeeds in most other soils[5]. Tolerates poor soils, especially those low in mineral elements[3]. Tolerates dry soils and also drought once it is established[3]. Tolerates maritime exposure, though the foliage may be burnt. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 7.5[4]. 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[6]. A slow-growing species[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]. This species is sometimes included as a sub-species of E. vernicosa[7]. Plants are shallow-rooting and, especially in windy areas, should be planted out into their permanent positions when small to ensure that they do not suffer from wind-rock[8]. They strongly resent root disturbance and should be container grown before planting out into their permanent position[7].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow late winter/early spring in a sunny position in a greenhouse[7, 9, 10]. 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+johnstonii>

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]A Key to Eucalypts in Britain and Ireland. — Brooker. M. I. · HMSO · 1983 · ISBN 0-11-710192-3 ↩︎A Forestry commission booklet giving details of the more common Eucalyptus species grown in Britain. Good identification guide.
  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]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.
  5. [5]Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs. — Gordon. A. G. and Rowe. D. C. F. · HMSO; London · 1982 · ISBN 0-11-710152-4 ↩︎Very comprehensive guide to growing trees and shrubs from seed. Not for the casual reader.
  6. [6]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.
  7. [7]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.
  8. [8]Scented Flora of the World. — Genders. R. · Robert Hale. London. · 1994 · ISBN 0-7090-5440-8 ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
  9. [9]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.
  10. [10]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.
  11. [11]Eucalypts. (2 volumes.) — Kelly. S. · Nelson, Melbourne · 1969 · ISBN - ↩︎A very readable book (in two volumes) on the many species of Eucalyptus trees in Australia.
  12. [12]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.