Gum Tree Eucalyptus cephalocarpa

There is a small group of Victorian gums that will sit in heavy, winter wet clay without sulking, and Mealy Stringybark is one of them. The trunk carries rough, closely fibrous stringybark with smoother limbs above, and the juvenile leaves have a blue grey mealy bloom that gives the tree its common name. It grows quickly into an upright tree of moderate to large scale, sometimes single trunked, sometimes branching low. Shelterbelts, screening rows and shade on ground that other trees refuse are its natural work.

Wet clay is fine, the first three years are not

The species comes from the foothills east and south east of Melbourne, growing on poorly drained soils that see off less tolerant eucalypts. That makes it a sound choice through southern and central Victoria, and through other districts with cold wet winters and a clay subsoil. Full sun, and no need to improve the drainage first. Cream blossom over the warmer months pulls in bees and lorikeets, and once the roots are down it wants little water even through a dry summer. For a shelterbelt, allow enough room for crowns to close without the row shading out its own lower branches.

Neglect in the first three years is what actually loses this tree. Depending on the site and the seed source it will either build a single clean trunk or branch low in a mallee like way, and that decision is effectively made for you if nobody prunes. A tree left to fork at knee height cannot be turned into a shade tree later without removing half of it, and the resulting stubs sit and rot in the wet ground the species is planted on. Choose your leader early and stay on top of the competition.

The other options for winter wet ground

For wet ground the obvious alternative is swamp mahogany, but that is a warm coastal tree with spongy red brown bark and broad glossy leaves, and young plants are frost tender. Mealy Stringybark is the cold climate answer to the same problem. Against apple box, which also takes damper tableland soils, this one is narrower in the crown and rough barked rather than box barked, so it fits a shelterbelt line where apple box wants orchard spacing. Apple box also holds the rounder blue grey juvenile leaf that gets cut for the vase, while the bloom on this species is a mealy coating rather than a florist feature. Pick Mealy Stringybark for cold, wet, heavy Victorian ground where you need height in a narrow band.

Cut it while the wood is young

Prune in late winter while the wood is young and the cuts are small. Take out competing leaders, shorten low branches rather than removing them outright, and let the trunk thicken before you lift the canopy. Once the framework is right, leave the tree alone. Feeding is light. Two spring applications of a native blend while it establishes, then rely on mulch and nothing further. Keep grass and mower damage away from the base, and avoid piling soil or fill over the root zone, which is the quiet way to kill a tree that otherwise tolerates wet feet. Larger stock sits in advanced trees.

Choosing a size

This plant is available in 3 sizes, from 200mm up to 45L, priced from $29.95 to $229.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. The smaller pots hold younger plants that cost less each and establish quickly, which suits hedges, screens and mass planting where the plant count adds up. The larger sizes carry several more years of growth on the farm and give height and presence straight away, which is what you want for a single feature position or a screen that cannot wait. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to Australian native trees for shade.