Houseplant growing guide
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus spp. · Myrtaceae
Sun
Full sun
Season
Warm
Maturity
2 to 4 years
Water
Moderate
Soil pH
5.5 to 7.0
Spacing
4 to 8 ft
Planting eucalyptus
How you plant eucalyptus depends on climate. In zones 8 to 10 it is a landscape tree: plant in spring into full sun and well-drained soil, several feet from anything it might shade out, because these trees grow astonishingly fast. Everywhere else it is a container plant, and an honest one at that. Potted eucalyptus wants the sunniest window or patio spot you have, a pot with real drainage holes, and a gritty well-drained mix. Buy small and repot every spring, one size up, since even young plants grow quickly. These are fast trees on a timer, not permanent houseplants.
Planting details
- Outdoors: full sun and well-drained soil in zones 8 to 10; it dies back in colder zones
- Containers: drainage holes required, repot every spring
- Landscape spacing: about 8 to 10 feet for shrub-scale species, more for trees
- Give container plants the brightest spot available
- Start from seed in spring or buy small nursery plants
Growing requirements
Eucalyptus wants full, direct sun, more of it than almost anything else sold for pots, and indoors it rarely gets enough. Most species also want a cooler winter rest period to stay healthy. Water container plants when the top of the mix dries, and never let the pot stand in drained water, because wet roots decline fast. In the ground, established trees shrug off drought. The catch with indoor eucalyptus is time: even slow species outgrow a windowsill within a few years, so plan on moving it out, cutting it back for foliage, or replacing it.
Harvesting and care
Regular clipping keeps a potted plant bushy and produces the cut foliage these plants are sold for; the round juvenile leaves are the silver dollar sprays in flower arrangements. In the landscape, prune in late winter to hold size, or coppice hard to force decorative juvenile growth. Feed lightly in spring if growth stalls; heavy feeding is unnecessary. Leaves that fade and crisp usually mean light starvation or wet roots, the two ways this plant fails indoors.
Common mistakes
- Not enough light indoors; eucalyptus needs direct sun it seldom gets inside
- A decorative pot without drainage, which keeps roots wet and kills the plant fast
- Expecting it to stay a houseplant; even slow kinds outgrow a sill within a few years
- Skipping the cool winter rest, which weakens the plant over time
- Planting a large species near structures; some reach 60 feet or more
Companion plants
In frost-free gardens, eucalyptus mixes with other drought-tough plants like rosemary, lantana, and ornamental grasses, and its open canopy lets light through to what grows beneath. In arrangements it is cut foliage rather than a garden companion. Container plants resent competition, so keep them in their own pots.
Varieties worth growing
- Cider gum: E. gunnii; one of the hardier species and a common pot plant
- Silver dollar: E. cinerea; the round-leaved florist favorite for cut stems
- Baby blue: compact blue-leaved form bred for containers
- Lemon-scented gum: Corymbia citriodora; the source of lemon eucalyptus oil
Frequently asked questions
Can eucalyptus grow indoors?
Short term, yes; long term, it is a challenge. It demands direct sun and a cool winter rest, and it will outgrow the room within a few years no matter what you do.
Is eucalyptus a tree or a shrub?
A tree, and often a large one. It stays shrub-sized only while confined to a container or kept cut back.
Which eucalyptus is used for cut flowers?
Silver dollar and baby blue, from juvenile growth. Cutting stems regularly keeps plants producing the round juvenile leaves arrangements want.
Will eucalyptus survive winter outside?
Only in zones 8 to 10 or warmer; colder winters kill it back to the roots. Bring containers into a cool, bright, frost-free spot before the first freeze.
