Cider Gum

Cider Gum (Eucalyptus gunnii) is the gum to plant where other eucalypts sulk in the cold. A Tasmanian species, it is one of the hardiest gums available in Australia, growing fast to around 10m tall and 6m wide with silver blue rounded juvenile leaves that mature to a longer grey green. Cream flowers bring bees and honeyeaters through the warmer months.

Why you'll love it

• Cold does not stop it. Frost hardy well beyond most gums, so it suits the tablelands, the Victorian and Tasmanian highlands and cold inland districts.
• Fast cover. It gets away quickly, which matters when you are trying to shelter a paddock or screen a boundary rather than admire a sapling.
• Silver blue juvenile foliage. The rounded young leaves are the reason most people plant it, and coppicing keeps them coming.
• It asks for almost nothing. Drought tolerant, wind tolerant and comfortable in poor soil once the roots are away.
• Wildlife value. Cream flowers feed bees and butterflies, and the canopy brings birds into an open block.

Where it works best

Windbreaks and shelter belts. Plant 4m to 6m apart in a staggered double row. That spacing filters wind rather than blocking it, which is what an exposed rural block actually needs.

Shade trees and driveways. Give it 8m of clearance from buildings, fences and services. Along a drive, space trees 8m apart for a continuous canopy.

Coppiced feature planting. Cut hard each winter it reshoots as a multi stemmed shrub of 2m to 3m in silver juvenile leaf, which is how to use it in a smaller garden.

Growing Cider Gum in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun and open air. It is at its best in cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens, from Victoria and the tablelands to temperate South Australia and Western Australia. It does not enjoy humid subtropical or tropical summers.

Soil. Undemanding, provided the ground drains. It tolerates poor and shallow soil that would defeat most trees, but avoid sites that stay boggy through winter. Mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first two summers to drive the roots down, then leave it to the rain. A low phosphorus native fertiliser in spring for the first few years is all it needs.

Pruning. Formative pruning in the first two winters sets the trunk and lifts the lower limbs. After that it needs nothing beyond removing damaged wood.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in a 400mm pot and in 100L. The 400mm tree is a young single stem, usually waist to shoulder height, and it establishes fast enough to catch larger stock within a few seasons. The 100L tree gives you height straight away.

Gums travel well and shed a few leaves in transit, which is normal. Expect a metre or more of growth a year early on, given water. Trees are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse our full range of Australian native trees.
• Compare options for windbreaks and shelter belts.
• Read about frost tolerant plants for Australian gardens.
• See more plants for cool climates.

Common questions

How close to a house can I plant it?

At least 8m, and further if you can. It reaches 10m with a substantial root system, and gums drop limbs, so keep it clear of buildings, driveways and services.

Can I keep it small?

Yes, by coppicing. Cut it back to about 30cm each winter and it reshoots as a 2m to 3m multi stemmed shrub with the silver juvenile foliage held permanently.

How much frost will it take?

Considerably more than most eucalypts, which is its main claim. It is a Tasmanian highland species and handles hard frost once established, though protect it in the first winter.