What soil does Cider gum grow in?

It tolerates these soils: average garden soil, sandy, acidic.

Hardy down to -15 °C (USDA zone 7, RHS H5). In the colder parts of the country (Carinthia, Lower Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Upper Austria, Vorarlberg) it may not survive winter without protection.

How far from the house should Cider gum be planted?

Plant it at least 1.5 m from buildings. Keep it at least 1.5 m from paving.

When does Cider gum flower?

Flowering: July–October, white.

How much water does Cider gum need?

Water need: medium. Drought tolerance: medium.

What should I plant instead of Cider gum?

We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens. For a similar purpose we recommend: Southern magnolia, Arizona cypress, Italian cypress, Totem Italian cypress.

Cider gum

Eucalyptus gunnii

Cider gum (Eucalyptus gunnii) is a large tree. Light: full sun. Hardy down to -15 °C. Drought tolerance: medium. Toxic to dogs, cats and children. We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens.

Illustration of Cider gum — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

The hardiest eucalyptus: its round, silver-blue juvenile leaves look good all year, smell strongly when rubbed and are lovely as cut stems. It still does not survive hard winters outdoors reliably, so grow it in a large tub: stand it in full sun on the terrace in summer and move it to a bright, cool, frost-free place (5 to 10 °C) before the serious frosts, watering sparingly but regularly because the root ball must not dry out even in winter. Cut it back hard in spring: it stays bushy and keeps producing the round blue leaves. The leaves and their oil are poisonous, so keep pets and small children from chewing them.

We do not recommend this plant

We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens. Further down we show what to plant instead.

Watch out for

In Central Europe a plant in the open ground is not reliably hardy: it tolerates prolonged frost of about -14 to -15 °C and short spells down to about -18 °C; in a colder winter, or a windy one without snow, the foliage and stems are killed and the plant is cut to the ground or dies. An ordinary winter here (lows of -15 to -25 °C) is harsher than that, so planting out is worth trying only in the warmest, most sheltered spot with a thick mulch and winter wrapping, and even then expect it to freeze back; it usually resprouts from the base. The newer selections sold as hardier have been tested to -20 °C, but experience with them is still limited. Being evergreen it keeps losing water in winter and dries out in frozen, dry soil. It is shallow-rooted when young and can blow over; in a tub it outgrows the pot quickly. Leaves and peeling bark drop all year.

Key facts

Light: Full sun
Water need: Medium
Care: High
Size after 10 years: 4 m × 2 m
Hardiness: down to -15 °C
Foliage: Evergreen
Flowering: J F M A M J J A S O N D July–October, white

Group	Large tree
Light	Full sun
Size after 10 years	4 m × 2 m
Ultimate size	8–30 m × 4–6 m
Hardiness	down to -15 °C (USDA 7, RHS H5)
Soil	Average garden soil, Sandy, Acidic
Foliage	Evergreen
Flowering	July–October, white
Water need	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium
Maintenance	High
Root aggressiveness	Low
Suckering	no
Spreading	Low
Distance from buildings	at least 1.5 m
Distance from paving	at least 1.5 m
Litter	Leaves
Planting distance	300 cm
For dogs	Toxic
For cats	Toxic
For children	Toxic
Typical price	no data

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

What to plant instead

Recommended plants that do the same job, with similar characteristics.

Southern magnolia

Magnolia grandiflora 4 m × 2.5 m after 10 years

An evergreen tree with large, glossy, leathery leaves that are rusty and felted beneath, bearing huge creamy white, lemon-scented flowers in summer.…

Large tree

Full sun

Part shade

from about €38

Arizona cypress

Cupressus arizonica 3.5 m × 1 m after 10 years

A blue-grey, scale-leaved evergreen that is mostly sold in slim, columnar forms: a handsome specimen in a warm, sunny spot, a screen when planted in a…

Large tree

Full sun

from about €22