Silver leaved Mountain Gum

The Silver Leaved Mountain Gum (Eucalyptus pulverulenta) is the eucalypt florists fight over: strings of round, powder silver leaves threaded along the stems, the foliage sold in every flower market as "baby blue". In the garden it is a small mallee gum, kept at its best around 3m to 5m, frost hardy to the point of relishing cold, and quick to grow. Cut it back hard every few years and it repays you with fresh fountains of that unmistakable juvenile silver.

Why you'll love it

• The silver foliage. Round powdery blue grey leaves clasp the stems in perfect pairs, luminous against dark fences and unbeatable in a vase.
• A gum for small gardens. As a coppiced shrub it stays at 3m to 4m, giving eucalypt character without eucalypt scale.
• Cold country proof. Native to the frosty tablelands of southern New South Wales, it thrives where most silver foliage plants rot or freeze.
• Fast and forgiving. Quick growth, poor soil tolerance, drought tolerance and wind tolerance make it an easy win.
• Flowers for the bees. Cream blossom crowds the stems in season, feeding bees, butterflies and honeyeaters.

Where it works best

Feature planting. A single coppiced specimen against a dark wall or corten screen shows the foliage like jewellery.

Cut foliage rows. Two or three plants kept cut supply a household, or a florist, indefinitely.

Screening. Left taller it makes a quick, airy 5m screen with silver light through it.

Cold and inland gardens. Frost hollows, windy ridges and hungry soils that limit plant choice are exactly where it shines.

Growing the Silver Leaved Mountain Gum in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, always. It performs in cool temperate, warm temperate, Mediterranean and semi arid climates, and handles hard frost. In the humid tropics choose a different feature; this is a dry air tree.

Soil. Any drained soil, including shallow and stony ground. Avoid rich, wet beds, which push soft growth that flops.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then rainfall does the job. Feeding is unnecessary; native soil rations keep the silver bloom on the leaves.

Pruning is the secret. The round silver leaves are juvenile foliage. Coppice the plant, cutting stems back hard, every two or three years in late winter, and it regrows as a dense silver shrub. Left entirely unpruned it becomes a sparse small tree with adult leaves and loses the look you bought it for. Every prune is a harvest for the vase.

What to expect when it arrives

Plants ship from 140mm packs of 10 and 200mm packs of 6 for rows and windbreak underplanting, through single 250mm, 300mm and 400mm trees, up to 35L advanced stock with instant height. Gums establish fast: expect vigorous growth in the first season and cutting material within a year. Delivery is Australia wide, from $29.95, with a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and advanced stock is freighted at cost. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse Australian native trees
• More frost hardy plants
• Bird attracting plants

Common questions

Why are my new leaves long and green instead of round and silver?

The tree has moved to adult foliage. Cut it back hard in late winter and the regrowth returns to the round silver juvenile leaves. Regular coppicing keeps it in that stage permanently.

How big will it get if I never prune?

Usually 5m to 8m as a slender, open small tree. It stays healthy, but the famous foliage and dense habit belong to pruned plants.

How long does the cut foliage last in a vase?

Two to three weeks in water, and it dries beautifully after that. It is the same stem sold by florists as baby blue gum.

Will it grow in Brisbane?

It prefers drier air and cooler nights. In the humid subtropics it tends to be short lived; from around Toowoomba south and inland it excels.