When Does Eucalyptus Bloom? A Guide to the Latest Flowering Periods
Eucalyptus, also known as white diesel tree, mang tree, youjiali, large-leaved eucalyptus, etc., is the collective name for plants of the genus Eucalyptus in the family Myrtaceae. Most of its native range is on the Australian continent, growing on sunny plains, hillsides and roadsides, and it is cultivated in southern and southwestern China. Let us take a look below at when eucalyptus blooms!
When does eucalyptus bloom?
Eucalyptus grows very rapidly, and generally flowers and fruits 3 to 4 years after planting, but flowering times differ among varieties. Usually the flowering period of river red gum (small-leaved eucalyptus) is in June, that of large-leaved eucalyptus is from April to September, lemon-scented gum blooms from November to January of the following year, fast-growing eucalyptus blooms from mid-September to mid-October, oblique-veined gum has a flowering period from August to September, and straight-trunk blue gum usually flowers and fruits in spring and autumn.
Is eucalyptus actually toxic?
Eucalyptus is not toxic. Research by the Eucalyptus Research Center of the State Forestry Administration shows that eucalyptus is not only non-toxic, but can also be used directly by animals and humans. Eucalyptus contains eucalyptus oil, a class of natural compounds extracted from eucalyptus leaves, which can be used in cosmetics; for example, Head & Shoulders still contains eucalyptus essence, and many medicinal raw materials contain eucalyptus oil as an ingredient. It can also be used as a medicinal raw material for oral care, rhinitis, expectorants, cooling balms, throat lozenges, wind-dispelling ointments, and more. Eucalyptus oil contains eucalyptol, which is mainly used in toothpaste, mouthwash, food and medicine, among other things.
Common cultivated eucalyptus varieties
1. Forest red gum: Forest red gum is a large tree, 25 m tall. The bark is smooth, grayish-white, and sheds in long strips. The young branches are round, slender and drooping. Juvenile leaves are ovate. Intermediate leaves are broadly lanceolate. Mature leaves are narrowly lanceolate and slightly curved. Umbels are axillary, with stout peduncles. Flower buds are long ovate. Stamens have longitudinally dehiscing anthers, and the capsules are nearly spherical. Its place of origin is the eastern coastal region of Australia, up to an altitude of 1800 m, commonly found in loam with relatively abundant rainfall; it tolerates light frost in winter and is not suited to acidic soil. It is planted in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Guizhou, Yunnan and other places. The wood is pale and used for construction, vehicles, ships, machinery, sleepers, and so on.
2. River red gum: River red gum has the widest distribution in Australia; except for deserts and semi-deserts, it is distributed almost everywhere. Its more suitable conditions are areas below 250 m in altitude, with annual rainfall of 250 to 600 mm and habitats with only light frost in winter. It is most commonly found along riverbanks. It is also planted over a relatively wide area in China, from South China to Southwest China, and is a relatively ideal tree species, growing rapidly and possessing a certain drought resistance and cold tolerance. The wood is red and highly decay-resistant, suitable for sleepers, wooden stakes, and so on.
3. Lemon-scented gum: Lemon-scented gum is an evergreen large tree, up to 40 m tall, with a diameter at breast height of up to 1.2 m. Its trunk form is tall and straight, and its bark is smooth and pure white, earning it the reputation of “fairy of the forest”. It is native to Australia and has been introduced to China for nearly a hundred years. It is cultivated in South China and in Fujian, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Sichuan and other places. It is light-loving, highly adaptable to climate and soil, drought-tolerant, fast-growing, and has a high timber yield. It is an important afforestation tree species in South China, suitable for afforestation on the lower parts of southern low hills, coastal mountain afforestation and roadside greening, and is also an important fast-growing timber tree species and a very good aromatic oil tree species in the south.
4. River red gum: River red gum, also known as small-leaved eucalyptus, wind-blown willow, etc., is native to the basalt and sandstone areas along the eastern coast of Australia and to drier inland areas, and is widely planted throughout South China. A relatively large area of afforestation trials has been carried out on the Leizhou Peninsula in Guangdong, with preliminary results achieved. The stems of seedlings are mostly crooked, but after felling and regeneration, the coppiced stems are mostly straight. It is currently a commonly used afforestation tree species in South China, though its wind resistance is somewhat poor and it is not resistant to typhoon strikes. The wood is pale red, hard and decay-resistant, and the leaves contain 0.82% oil.
5. Large-leaved eucalyptus: Large-leaved eucalyptus is a densely shaded large tree, up to 20 m tall. The bark does not shed, is dark brown, and has irregular oblique fissures. Young branches are angular. Young leaves are opposite, leathery, ovate, and stalked. Mature leaves are alternate, thickly leathery, ovate-lanceolate, unequal on both sides, with glandular dots on both surfaces. Umbels are large, with flattened peduncles; pedicels are short, thick and flat; petals and sepals fuse into a cap-like structure. Capsules are ovate-urn-shaped, slightly constricted in the upper half, with the capsule opening slightly enlarged. The flowering period is from April to September. It grows on sunny plains, hillsides and roadsides. It is native to Australia north of the southern latitude, and is cultivated in southern and southwestern China.
6. Oblique-veined gum: Oblique-veined gum is 20 m tall. The bark is persistent, dark brown, and splits into squares like pine bark. Young branches are angular. Juvenile leaves are opposite, ovate or broadly lanceolate, up to 7 cm wide. Mature leaves are leathery, lanceolate, slightly curved, with fine small black glandular dots on both surfaces. Umbels are axillary, with flattened peduncles; flower buds are spindle-shaped with pointed ends; the cap-like structure is the same length as the calyx tube, with an acuminate apex. Capsules are nearly spherical or bell-shaped, with the fruit rim level with the calyx tube opening and protruding beyond the calyx tube. The flowering period is from August to September. Its place of origin is the moist saline-alkali soil along the eastern coast of Australia. It is planted throughout South China, grows rapidly, has strong sprouting ability, and tolerates poor soil.
7. Blue gum: Blue gum, also known as foreign grass fruit, gray willow, jade tree oil tree, etc., has grayish-blue bark that sheds in flakes, and young branches are slightly angular. Juvenile leaves are opposite, sessile, and covered with white powder. The flowers are large, 4 mm wide, solitary or in clusters of 2 to 3 in the leaf axils. Pedicels are absent or very short. The calyx tube is inversely conical, with 4 raised ridges and small wart-like protrusions on the surface, covered with white powder. The cap-like structure is slightly flattened and falls early. Stamens are in multiple rows, with slender filaments and elliptical anthers. The style is 7 to 8 mm long and thick. Capsules are hemispherical, with 4 ridges; the fruit rim is flat and wide, and the valves do not protrude. It is distributed and cultivated in Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan and other places, reaching as far north as Chengdu and Hanzhong. The leaves and fruits are used as medicine.
8. Straight-trunk blue gum: Straight-trunk blue gum has grayish-blue bark that sheds year by year, with persistent bark at the base. Young branches are round and angular. Young leaves are mostly opposite, with leaf blades ovate to round, and mature leaves are lanceolate. Umbels have 3 to 7 flowers, with flattened or angular peduncles; flower buds are elliptical; the calyx tube is inversely conical; the cap-like structure is triangular-conical and the same length as the calyx crown. Capsules are bell-shaped or inversely conical, with a relatively wide fruit rim. The flowering and fruiting period is usually in spring and autumn. It is native to Australia and was introduced for cultivation less than 100 years ago. It is mainly produced in Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Guizhou, Sichuan and other places in China, and prefers sunny flat ground, hillsides and roadsides.