Cider Gum Blue Ice 

Tapped by the aboriginal inhabitants of Tasmania to make a cider-like drink, Eucalyptus gunnii is one of the hardiest eucalypts. Eucalyptus gunnii Blue Ice is a tall, fast-growing, evergreen tree with a broad, fairly dense crown and attractively spreading branches. It can also be kept coppiced to make a large shrub. The light grey bark peels away to reveal reddish patches. The round to ovate, waxy, aromatic, grey-blue juvenile foliage clasps the stems, and is much bluer than the species; it’s excellent for flower-arranging. Eventually willow-like, matte, blue-grey-green adult foliage appears, but judicious pruning can keep the juvenile foliage coming. Yellowish buds open to small white flowers, attractive to pollinators. Once established, cider gum Blue Ice can cope with drought, but also with soils that lie wet in winter. It needs to be watered well in its first year until it puts down a good root-system. Can be used for hedging.

Site: Tolerates exposure
Soil: Well-drained, neutral to acid soil; tolerates poor soil and occasional waterlogging
Position: Full sun
Season of interest: All year
Hardiness: Fully hardy 
Height: up to 82’ (25m) if left unpruned

Photos by Emőke Dénes, cropped, and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.