Flooded Gum

Flooded Gum (Eucalyptus rudis) is the Western Australian gum for ground that floods in winter and bakes in summer. It makes a broad, spreading shade tree of about 12m tall and 9m wide, grows quickly, and handles heavy clay, waterlogging and drought in the same paddock. It needs a large open site, so think acreage, farms and generous blocks rather than a suburban backyard.

Why you'll love it

• Wet feet and dry summers both. Tolerant of seasonal waterlogging and of drought once established, a combination very few shade trees manage.
• Fast shade. It grows quickly into a wide spreading canopy, so a paddock, dam edge or driveway gets useful cover in a handful of seasons.
• Tough where the soil is poor. Frost hardy, wind tolerant and productive in poor and heavy ground that stalls other trees.
• It works for wildlife. Cream flowers feed honeyeaters, native bees and butterflies through the flowering season.

Where it works best

Shade over paddocks and large lawns. Allow at least 10m of clear space around each tree. Stock and grass both do well under the filtered canopy.

Windbreaks and shelterbelts. A staggered double row at 10m spacing filters wind across an exposed property rather than blocking it and creating turbulence behind the line.

Driveways and low lying ground. Plant 10m to 12m apart along a long drive, and use it for the wet corner or drainage line where other trees give up.

Growing Flooded Gum in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun and open ground. It suits Mediterranean, warm temperate, cool temperate and arid or semi-arid gardens, and is frost hardy once established. Humid tropical gardens are not its country.

Soil. Unusually forgiving. Heavy clay, sand and seasonally waterlogged ground are all handled, and fertility is not a requirement.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first two summers to build the root system, then leave it to rainfall in most districts. Feeding is rarely necessary, and a low phosphorus native fertiliser is the only safe option if growth stalls.

Pruning. Formative pruning over the first three years sets a single leader and lifts the canopy clear. After that, limit work to dead or crossing limbs, ideally in late summer.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes in two sizes, 30L and 90L. The 30L is a young slender tree that establishes fast and catches a larger plant within a few years, which makes it the sensible choice for a shelterbelt or a long run of trees. The 90L arrives with real height and a formed trunk for a single feature position.

Plants 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. Stake young trees against wind for their first two years, and expect rapid height from the second season once the roots are away. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse Australian native trees
• Compare fast growing shade trees
• Choosing trees for farm paddock shade
• Working with waterlogged ground

Common questions

How far from a house or fence should I plant it?

At least 10m, and further where the space allows. It spreads to about 9m across, and like most large eucalypts it sheds bark and the occasional limb as it matures.

Will it work in a suburban backyard?

Rarely. At roughly 12m tall and 9m wide it overwhelms a standard block, so it is better kept for acreage, farms, verges and large gardens with room to spare.

Does it genuinely tolerate waterlogging?

Yes, on a seasonal basis. It is native to flats in south west Western Australia that flood in winter and dry out through summer, so that cycle is what it is built for.