Description
Eucalyptus kybeanensis – Kybean Mallee Ash
A super species well adapted to the British climate and the smaller garden. Slower growing than its fellow Eucalypts, E kybeanensis develops gradually into an open, airy multi-stemmed bush and then a small tree. The young trees respond well to shoot-tip-pruning in formative years, allowing you to control growth and habit.
Shoots ‘n Leaves: Young shoots are coated in fine white hairs, presumably to protect them against desiccation in exposed conditions.
Juvenile foliage is small, thin, lanceolate, pointed. Begins bronze with purply shoots turning deep glossy green, and often held upright.
Adult foliage is lanceolate, with rounded tips, in mid olive green to dark holly green, glossy.
Bark: Very attractive; chocolate bark with white striations peels to reveal the smooth under layer of caramel/coffee coloured with a hint of olive green.
Flowers: This variety is fairly showy when in flower with small, white inflorescence held in groups of 7 to 11. Flowers from November through to April and smell of honey.
Leaf Aroma: Not overwhelming; faintly fruity eucalyptus.
Rate of Growth: Relatively slow-growing for a Eucalyptus at around 60-90cm per annum; still quite fast for an evergreen.
Height in maturity, if left unpruned: Medium term (about 8 years) around 4 metres tall, long term (20+ years) seldom exceeding 7m (about 25′) tall. Prune to keep bushy and compact.
Hardiness: Root-system easily tolerates temperatures down to -14°C / -16°C but needs good drainage to succeed well. Originating from high plateaux, E. kybeanensis is very tolerant of exposure, once established. The young trees in our nursery survived well, during the winter 2010/11
Hardiness in Eucalyptus is governed by provenance of seed, how it is grown (i.e. high nitrogen levels reduces cold tolerance), age of the tree – the older your tree, the hardier it will be. Younger Eucs are more susceptible to frost damage.