PUSHING THE BORDERS

Does anybody know what this red eucalyptus is in Fox Rosehill Gardens?

Flower looks like E. leucoxylon rosea but the canopy is denser than the one in Ventnor. Also the bark is distinctively dark and corrugated unlike the silvery peeling bark at Ventnor.

Eucalyptus sideroxylon?

Chad

Yes, I think you have it! Thanks.

As an aside, last year I went on a day trip to Tresco Abbey Gardens with Dominic and we were fortunate enough to have Andrew spend all day with us showing us round, which was utterly fab. In one part of the garden there were loads and loads of brightly coloured eucalyptus growing, ranging from white through orange and vermillion to pink. All from seed of one species. Can I remember which? No. But the thing I took home was that they took 20 years to flower from seed and you couldn't guarantee what colour they would be. I am sure Dominic would remember.

I think their plantation of seedlings is Corymbia ficifolia.

Chad

Yes, I think that's the Johnny. Well done!

Paul, I assume that the ficifolia plants I sent to you (and a couple of other people) a few years back didn’t thrive?? I had a big batch of them and they all got to about 2ft and then perished. I was attracted by images I had seen of them flowering at a very short height, perhaps 2M or so and wondered if the stress of pot growing could tempt them to flower early, as well as affording easier winter protection. Alas I never got that far. It’s a pity as they are lovely things.

I planted it immediately and it died first winter, Martin. :(