Winter Light Dwarf Green Mallee

Winter Light Dwarf Green Mallee (Eucalyptus viridis 'Winter Light') is a eucalypt you can actually use as a screen. It holds at roughly 3m tall and 2m wide, clothed to the base in fine needle like foliage, filling the narrow gap along a fence that a full sized gum would overwhelm. Frost, drought and heat hardy, it works from the coast to the dry inland.

Why you'll love it

• Screen height without tree problems. About 3m by 2m, so it clears a fence and blocks a first floor window without the root run of a mature eucalypt.
• Fine textured foliage. Narrow leaves on dense upright stems give a soft, almost conifer like screen rather than the open look most gums have.
• The widest climate range. Frost, drought, heat, wind and poor soil are all handled, so warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean, arid and subtropical gardens suit it.
• Native, and birds use it. An eastern Australian mallee, so it feeds local birds while doing a job usually handed to an exotic hedge.

Where it works best

Screening and hedging. Plant 1.5m apart. The canopies close within two to three seasons and each plant keeps foliage right down low. Trimmed twice a year it holds as an informal hedge at 2m.

Windbreaks and feature planting. A double staggered row at 1.5m filters wind rather than blocking it, which is what an exposed rural or coastal fence line needs. Single plants make a fine textured vertical accent.

Growing Winter Light Dwarf Green Mallee in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, full stop. Shade produces a thin leggy plant that will never screen properly. Its range runs from warm temperate and Mediterranean through to cool temperate, arid and subtropical, and being frost hardy it suits cold inland gardens.

Soil. It tolerates poor soil and does not want it improved. Free draining is the requirement. On heavy clay, plant on a raised mound.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first summer, then taper off. From the second year it is genuinely drought tolerant. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring if growth looks pale.

Pruning. Tip prune from the day it goes in and trim lightly two or three times a year while it is young. That is the difference between a dense screen and a row of thin stems. Once at height, one trim a year holds the shape.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in a single size, tube stock, currently listed on backorder so it ships with the next crop. Tube stock is the right way to plant eucalypts: young plants push a deep root system quickly and overtake larger container grown gums within two years.

Each plant arrives around 15 to 25cm tall, packed to travel upright. Water it in well, stake nothing, and expect little growth for six to eight weeks, then a strong flush. A screen at 1.5m spacing reads as solid in its third season. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare options in screening plants that reach 2m to 4m.
• Browse the wider Australian native tree range.
• See what else suits an exposed site among plants for windbreaks.
• Read our guide to the best fast growing screening trees for privacy.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

One and a half metres apart in a single row. Each plant fills about 2m of width, so that spacing removes gaps at fence height while leaving room for air.

Will it stay at 3m, or keep growing like a gum?

It is a compact mallee selection, so 3m is its natural ceiling in most gardens rather than a trimmed height. Two light trims a year hold it at 2m indefinitely.

Is it safe to plant near a house or fence?

At 3m with a proportionally small root system it is far safer than a forest eucalypt. Allow about 1.5m clearance so you can get around it to trim.