Eucalyptus globulus seed
LATIN NAME: EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS
COMMON NAME: Tasmanian Blue Gum, Southern Blue Gum, Blue Gum Eucalyptus
The Tasmanian blue gum is one of the tallest and grandest trees of Australia, and it has carried its fresh, camphor-like scent around the world. It grows as a tall, evergreen tree, reaching fifty metres or more in its native forests, with smooth, pale bark that peels away to reveal grey and blue tints, a juvenile stage of whitish, waxy, rounded leaves, and mature foliage that is glossy, green and lance-shaped, long and slender, holding the aromatic oil that gives the whole tree its clean, bracing smell. In late autumn and winter it bears small, white flowers, followed by greyish woody capsules holding the fine seeds. Endemic to southeastern Australia, including Tasmania, it has been planted across the warm world for its timber, its oil and its astonishingly rapid growth, and it is one of the most widely grown eucalyptus species on earth.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Tasmanian blue gum has a distinguished and growing place in scientific and industrial research. It is one of the most widely grown trees in the world, studied extensively in forestry for its fast growth, its timber and its use in plantations for paper and construction, while its open-textured, strong and durable wood has served for railway sleepers, piles and fuel. The tree is also famous for its essential oil, rich in eucalyptol, which researchers have studied for its chemistry and its uses in medicines, chest rubs and household products, and the species remains a major source of eucalyptus oil, particularly in Spain and Portugal. In ecology, its rapid growth and water use have been examined in the regions where it has been introduced, and in its native range it is a favourite food of the koala. For a tree of such global importance, the blue gum has an exceptionally rich record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
To grow the Tasmanian Blue Gum from seed, ecologically, the Tasmanian blue gum is a generous tree of the Australian forest. Its white flowers feed bees and other pollinators and produce a fine honey, its seeds feed birds, and its tall, leafy crown gives shelter and shade to a great range of wildlife, while its juvenile foliage is a favourite of koalas. Economically its value is enormous: it is planted on a vast scale for fast-growing timber for paper and construction, its essential oil is used in medicines and household products, and its flowers feed the bees that make a valued honey. For a grower it is a fast and valuable tree, and for a gardener it brings a tall, elegant evergreen with a fresh, camphor-like scent. To bring the Tasmanian blue gum on, sow the fine seeds on the surface of moist, free-draining compost in spring, press them in lightly, and keep them in a warm, bright place until the little seedlings are through.
sow the fine seeds on the surface of moist, free-draining compost in spring and press them in lightly, and keep the young blue gums in a warm, bright place until the little seedlings are through.
LATIN NAME: Eucalyptus globulus
COMMON NAME: Southern Blue Gum, Tasmanian Blue Gum, Blue Gum Eucalyptus
The southern blue gum is one of the tallest and grandest trees of Australia, and it has carried its fresh, camphor-like scent around the world. It grows as a tall, evergreen tree, reaching fifty metres or more, with mostly smooth, pale bark that peels to reveal grey and blue tints, juvenile leaves that are whitish and waxy, and mature leaves that are glossy, green and lance-shaped, long and slender, with the distinctive aroma of eucalyptus oil. In late autumn and winter it bears small, white flowers, and it is one of the most important trees of the Australian forest, grown across the world for its timber, its oil and its rapid growth.
The southern blue gum belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and it is endemic to southeastern Australia, including Tasmania. It has been planted widely around the world, and it is among the most widely grown eucalyptus species, valued for its timber, its essential oil and its rapid growth.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The southern blue gum has a distinguished and growing place in both scientific and industrial research. It is one of the most widely grown trees in the world, and it has been studied extensively in forestry and in research on fast-growing timber, with researchers examining its growth, its wood and its use in plantations for timber and paper. The tree is also famous for its essential oil, and researchers have studied the chemistry of the oil, which is rich in eucalyptol, and its traditional and industrial uses, since the oil is used in medicines, in chest rubs and in household products. The tree has also been studied in ecology and in research on the eucalyptus genus, and its rapid growth and water use have been examined in the regions where it has been planted. For a tree of such global importance, the southern blue gum has an exceptionally rich record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the southern blue gum is a generous tree of the Australian forest. Its white flowers feed bees and other pollinators, its seeds feed birds, and its tall, leafy crown gives shelter and shade for a great range of wildlife, while it is a favourite of koalas in its native range.
Its economic value is enormous. It is one of the most widely grown trees in the world, planted for its fast-growing timber, used for paper and construction, and for its essential oil, which is used in medicines, chest rubs and household products, while the tree is also a major source of honey from its flowers. For a grower, the southern blue gum is a fast and valuable tree, and for a gardener it brings a tall, elegant evergreen with a fresh, camphor-like scent. The seed is fine and easy — sow it on the surface of moist, free-draining compost in spring, keep it in a warm, bright spot and water it gently, and the little seedlings will be through within a couple of weeks, growing on astonishingly fast into tall trees with their fresh, aromatic leaves.
Eucalyptus globulus ssp globulus, known as the Tasmanian Blue Gum, is a majestic tree that is native to Tasmania and southern Victoria in Australia. They typically grow from 30 to 55 metres tall with one tree reported at 90 metres in Tasmania. The tree has a rough, greyish bark which is shed on the upper trunk and branches in long ribbons (as noted above, the bark is shed to the base in some cases but retained at the base in others). The white flowers occur in from winter to early summer. They are followed by greyish, 3 to 6-valved fruits (“gum nuts”). The tree is popular in cultivation, particularly for its attractive, blue-grey (glaucous) juvenile foliage and fast growth. E.globulus has an open textured wood with distinct growth rings. The timber is strong and durable and has been used for a variety of purposes including railway sleepers, piles, paper making, oil and honey. The tree coppices well and has been used for fuel. The volatile oil content is relatively low but that hasnt prevented substantial oil harvesting from the species, particularly in Spain and Portugal. The oil is pale yellow in colour and is used in perfumery and in soap making. Blue gum is one of the most extensively planted eucalypts. Its rapid growth and adaptability to a range of conditions is responsible for its popularity. It is especially well-suited to countries with a Mediterranean-type climate, but also grows well in high altitudes in the tropics. Frost hardy to greater than -8°C.