Manna Gum

Manna Gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) is a fast growing forest tree from south eastern Australia, settling around 18m tall and 10m wide in cultivation and taller again on a good site. It is grown for shade and shelter rather than detail: a tall straight trunk, smooth pale bark peeling in long ribbons, and clouds of white to cream blossom that bring honeyeaters in. This is a paddock and acreage tree, not a suburban one.

Why you'll love it

• Shade in a hurry. One of the faster growing eucalypts, so a bare rural block has usable shade within a handful of seasons.
• Handles wet ground and dry. Wet feet tolerant and drought tolerant, an unusual pairing that suits creek flats and dry rises alike.
• Cold hardy. Frost hardy, so it holds up in cool temperate districts where many gums will not.
• Feeds native birds. White to cream blossom draws honeyeaters and lorikeets, and the peeling bark shelters insects the smaller birds hunt.
• Stands up to wind. Wind tolerant once anchored, which is what an exposed shelter row needs.

Where it works best

Shade trees on acreage. Plant well clear of houses, sheds, powerlines and septic lines. A tree of this scale wants at least 15m of clear ground and open sky above it.

Windbreaks and shelter rows. Space 8m to 10m apart along a boundary, matching the mature width, so each tree keeps a full crown rather than drawing up thin and one sided.

Feature planting. One mature specimen in an open paddock gives a rural property its strongest vertical line.

Growing Manna Gum in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun and plenty of room. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, so Victoria, southern New South Wales, the tablelands, South Australia and cooler parts of Western Australia. The heat and humidity of the wet tropics do not suit it.

Soil. Not fussy. It grows on clay, loam and gravel, and it will accept ground that stays damp through winter, which few large trees do. Avoid permanently waterlogged hollows.

Water and feed. Water deeply once or twice a week through the first two summers, then leave it alone. Native trees resent rich feeding, so a light application of low phosphorus native fertiliser in spring for the first two years is plenty.

Pruning. Formative pruning only, in the first three years, to leave a single leader and a clear trunk. After that, leave it to a qualified arborist. Like most large gums it sheds bark and the occasional limb, so keep vehicles and outdoor seating out from under the canopy.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow it in a 200mm pack of six, a 300mm, a 400mm and a 45L. Smaller sizes are the sensible buy for a shelter row or a revegetation planting, because young eucalypts establish faster than large ones and soon overtake them. The 400mm and 45L give a head start where one tree needs to look intentional straight away.

Plants travel upright and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full Australian native tree range
• Compare fast growing shade trees
• Plants suited to windbreaks and shelter rows
• Choosing paddock trees for stock shade

Common questions

How big does it really get?

Around 18m by 10m in an average garden situation, and well beyond that on deep moist soil. Treat 18m as a planning minimum, not a ceiling.

Can I plant it on a suburban block?

Honestly, no. The mature scale and the natural bark and limb shed make it unsuitable close to houses, fences and services. Choose a smaller native for a standard suburban yard.

Will it grow in wet ground?

Yes, better than most large trees. It is wet feet tolerant and does well on seasonally damp flats, though it still needs the water to move through rather than sit permanently.