Eucalyptus ovata
Eucalyptus ovata
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Eucalyptus ovata is native to the temperate climate of southeastern Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 760 metres. Rainfall occurs mainly in the winter, with a mean annual rainfall within the range 500 - 1,000mm and a non-severe dry season of up to 3 months. The mean maximum temperature of the hottest month is 18 - 24°c; mean minimum temperature of the coldest month is 0 - 7°c, and there are generally around 5 - 90 frosts a year[1]. The species grows on a wide variety of sites; it can tolerate sites which are inundated for appreciable periods and yet also grow on dry, well-drained slopes. In the regions of its natural occurrence it is a good frost hollow species[1]. 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[2]. A valuable amenity species for providing shade and shelter on cool, wet sites[1]. Success as an industrial coppice crop is still to be proved, and the best provenances chosen. The species has the desirable character that logs can be barked easily in the forest during droughty periods which make the bark of other species very tight[1].
Propagation
Seed - surface sow late winter/early spring in a sunny position in a greenhouse[3, 4, 5]. Species that come from high altitudes appreciate 6 - 8 weeks cold stratification at 2°c[6]. 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[6]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Eucalyptus+ovata>
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]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.
- [3]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.
- [4]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.
- [5]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.
- [6]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.
- [7]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.