Silver Dollar Gum

Silver Dollar Gum (Eucalyptus cinerea) is the eucalypt grown for its rounded silver juvenile leaves, the stems florists pay real money for. Left to grow it becomes a tree about 10m tall and 6m wide. Cut hard every year or two it stays a dense silver shrub under 4m, and that is how most gardens should use it. Frost hardy and tough on poor dry sites, it suits the cooler and drier parts of the country especially well.

Why you'll love it

• Foliage worth cutting. The round silver juvenile leaves hold beautifully in a vase, so the garden doubles as a supply of cut stems.
• Two trees in one. Grow it out into a 10m shade and windbreak tree, or coppice it into a compact silver foliage shrub. You choose, and you can change your mind early on.
• Cold does not bother it. It is frost hardy and at home in cool temperate districts that limit so many other natives.
• Thrives on neglect. Drought tolerant, heat tolerant, wind tolerant and fine in poor soil once established.
• Birds use it. The cream and white flowers bring nectar feeding birds through the garden.

Where it works best

Feature planting. Silver foliage reads from right across the garden, whether as a full tree or a coppiced shrub holding down a mixed border.

Windbreaks. Plant 4m apart for a windbreak on rural boundaries and exposed blocks. It grows quickly and holds together in wind.

Screening. For a tall informal screen, use the same spacing and let the trees run up. For a lower, denser screen, commit to the hard annual pruning from the start.

Growing Silver Dollar Gum in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun. It is built for warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and dry inland climates and shrugs off frost. The humid tropics and subtropics are the wrong address for it.

Soil. Well drained soil of almost any quality. Poor stony ground is acceptable; deep fertile soil simply gets you a bigger tree sooner.

Water and feed. Water deeply through the first summer, then leave it to the weather. Established trees rarely need irrigation, and feeding is largely unnecessary beyond a light native fertiliser in spring.

Pruning. This is the important part. To keep the round silver juvenile foliage coming and hold the tree under 4m, coppice or prune hard every year or two. Left unpruned it will do what gums do, which is grow.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Silver Dollar Gum in 140mm pots as a pack of ten, 200mm pots as a pack of six, 250mm pots as a pack of three, and as single 300mm, 400mm and 35L trees. The multi packs suit windbreak rows, and the single pots suit feature planting. Eucalypts establish fast, and even modest stock puts on real height in its first warm season. Orders are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse our Australian native plants
• Compare windbreak trees
• More feature trees for Australian gardens
• The best time to plant a tree in Australia

Common questions

Can I keep it small?

Yes, and you should decide early. Coppicing or pruning hard every year or two holds it under 4m and keeps the juvenile silver foliage, which is the form most people actually want.

Can I cut the stems for a vase?

Yes. The juvenile foliage is the material florists use. Regular cutting doubles as the pruning that keeps the plant compact and silver.

How far apart should I plant a windbreak?

4m apart. That lets each tree develop properly while the row knits into effective wind protection within a few seasons.

Will it handle frost?

Yes, it is frost hardy and well suited to cold winters in cool temperate districts. It is the humid subtropical and tropical coast that does not suit it.