Description
Eucalyptus Subcrenulata, Tasmanian Alpine Yellow Gum
| Hardy: | Very, frost hardy to -16°C |
| Soil: | Will grow in a wide variety of soil types, likes hydration. |
| Growth: | Medium, 1m per year. |
| Height: | Usually 20m plus, though this is a native growing height (Alpine). May grow taller at lower / warmer altitudes. |
| Flowering: | Late winter to early spring. |
| Biomass: | Will produce good firewood and coppice. |
Native to the mountainous / alpine regions of Tasmania, Subcrenulata is from the same family as Johnstonii, the “Yellow Gums”
Yellow Gums and Eucalyputs Subcrenulata are a good choice for Ireland:
- Very tough and hardy
- Happy growing in boggy ground, and if you have such, will help dry it up and make it more useable. NOTE I would go for the larger Johnstonii if this is your intention. Other factors being equal, e.g. the not so mighty Subcrenulata would better suited if there are nearby buildings 😉
- The dark green glossy leaves of the Yellow Gums are quite unusual for Eucalyptus, and my personal experience so far is that this makes them less prone to wind burn.
- Less prone to Blue Gum Psyllid 🤣
The bark of the Yellow gums is very distinctive with its yellows, greens and browns. Photo by Tim Rudman
I hear a lot of disparaging comments about forestry in Ireland, probably because it is generally very dense Sitka Spruce with limited or no public access. Forests are fabulous places to walk and enjoy, and the photo below shows what an intriguing an interesting place a Eucalyptus forest can be. It also shows how well adapted Eucalyptus Subcrenulata are to wet environments.
Photo by Nuytsia
Subcrenulata aren’t called Alpine Yellow gum by accident. They also develop into attractive spreading specimen trees if given the space.
I’m always a bit wary of some of the garish colours that are associated with Eucalypts. Certainly the bark can be very striking and unlike any other species of tree, though I do wonder how much is accentuated in photo editing.
The photo below by Janette Asche probably represents the true colours of Subrenulata.
Trees regenerate in two ways:
- The awakening of dormant buds at leaf and branch nodes
- Growing from the roots using lignotubers
Eucalyptus Subcrenulata have lignotubers and can be pruned to a desired shape, or just to ensure its proportions if planted in a smaller garden.
