Eucalyptus tereticornis

Cultivation Details

Eucalyptus tereticornis has the widest latitudinal distribution of any species in the genus, occurring over a wide range of climatic conditions from temperate to tropical^[1]. It is found naturally at elevations from sea level to 1,800 metres^{[2, 3]}, and grows in areas where the mean annual precipitation ranges from 500 - 2,000mm and the dry season can be severe and may extend for up to 7 months. It has been planted successfully in areas where there can be as much as 3,500mm of rain^{[1, 3]}. The mean annual temperature ranges from 16 - 25°c, with a mean maximum temperature of the warmest month of around 27°c and a mean minimum of the coolest month of 7°c^[1]. Where it grows naturally, it may tolerate 0 - 15 frosts a year^[1]. In some areas where it has been planted, the tree has survived occasional frosts to -7°c^{[2, 3]}. Requires a sunny position. Grows wild in soils that are usually not acidic, are rather rich, moist, alluvial, sandy loams and gravels^[1]. It prefers a pH in the range 6.5 - 7.5^[1]. Established plants have considerable resistance to drought, and can also tolerate occasional waterlogging^{[2, 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^[4]. A fast-growing tree, when planted on favourable sites trees have attained a height of 35 metres in 10 years, even on poorer sites they have managed 15 - 18 metres^[5]. Yields of wood depend primarily upon humidity. They are highest when trees are grown on the borders of canals and under conditions of irrigation. In irrigated plantations in Africa under good conditions, annual yields of 20 - 25 cubic metres per hectare during the first 15 years have been obtained; the yield then decreases to 10 - 15 cubic metres unless the trees are coppiced^[6]. On poor sites in Uruguay annual yields of only 6 cubic metres per hectare were achieved in a 16 year rotation^[6]. When grown in plantations, it begins to produce seed 3 - 6 years after establishment^[1]. Whilst most Eucalyptus species, grown in small numbers outside their native range, can be an attractive and useful addition to the landscape, certain species (including this one) are more problematic. When grown in monocultures, especially outside their native range, they can become an environmental disaster. They are voracious, especially in their use of water; they are allelopathic, inhibiting the growth of the native flora; they reduce habitats for native fauna; and encourage the worst possible attitudes to land use and conservation^[7]. For a Eucalypt, this species is considered relatively fire resistant^[1]. The species coppices vigorously: a 99% rate has been reported from Congo^[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^[7]. 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^[7].