Wallangarra White Gum

Wallangarra White Gum (Eucalyptus scoparia) is the gum to plant when a garden needs a genuine shade tree with a trunk worth looking at. It reaches about 12m tall and 8m across, with a fine weeping canopy that throws dappled shade. The bark sheds each year to a smooth, near white surface, and it is a fast starter.

Why you'll love it

• A smooth white trunk. The bark peels annually to a clean pale surface, a feature in winter as well as summer.
• Fine weeping canopy. Narrow leaves on drooping branchlets filter the light, so you can still grow plants underneath.
• Australian native and bird attracting. Clusters of white blossom bring honeyeaters and lorikeets through the garden.
• Genuinely hardy. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, wind tolerant and content in poor soil.

Where it works best

Shade trees. One mature tree spreads to about 8m, enough for a seating area or a stretch of lawn. Allow at least 6m from the house and keep it clear of pipes and paving. This is a full sized tree.

Driveways and avenues. Space trees 8m to 10m apart. The canopies meet overhead without crowding and each trunk stays visible.

Windbreaks. On a rural block, a staggered double row at 8m spacing filters wind rather than blocking it dead.

Feature planting. Planted singly in lawn or gravel and uplit at night, the white trunk carries a front garden.

Growing Wallangarra White Gum in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, always. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens and is frost hardy, so cold inland and tableland districts are fine. It is not the pick for the wet tropics.

Soil. Not fussy. It tolerates poor and shallow soils that stop other trees, provided the site drains, so never plant it into a hollow that holds water. Mulch 75mm deep in a wide ring, clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak once a week through the first two summers, then it looks after itself in all but the driest years. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring for the first two years, then stop: eucalypts do not want rich feeding.

Pruning. Shape it early. Remove competing leaders and unwanted low branches in the first two or three years, while the cuts are small. Established gums resent heavy pruning.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in five sizes: 250mm packs of three, 300mm and 400mm pots, and advanced 45L and 100L stock. The smaller sizes arrive as slender young trees, little more than a whip with a few side branches, and establish fast. The 45L and 100L arrive with a formed trunk and real height on day one.

Some leaf drop after transit is normal. Stake young trees loosely for the first year in a windy spot, then remove the stake. 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, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing trees for a driveway or avenue
• Browse the Australian native tree range
• The best canopy trees for shade
• Advanced trees for immediate height

Common questions

How far from the house should I plant it?

At least 6m, and further if you can. The canopy spreads to about 8m and the roots need matching room.

Does it drop a lot of litter?

It sheds bark in strips through the warmer months and drops leaves steadily rather than all at once. Clean by eucalypt standards, but still a eucalypt, so avoid planting directly over a pool.

Will it take frost?

Yes. It is frost hardy once established. Protect very young trees through their first winter in a hard frost pocket.