Eyre Yate Gum

Eyre Yate Gum (Eucalyptus seeana) is a fast growing Australian native shade tree for properties with room to spare, reaching around 15m tall and 8m across. It carries a light, open canopy on a straight trunk, so shade beneath is dappled rather than dense and lawn keeps growing under it. White flowers bring honeyeaters and native bees in numbers.

Why you'll love it

• Real shade within a few seasons. One of the quicker gums to put on height, so a bare paddock or new block feels settled far sooner.
• It handles wet ground and dry. Drought tolerant once established, yet comfortable where soil stays damp for days after heavy rain, which suits low lying corners.
• Birds arrive with the flowers. Nectar rich white blossom feeds honeyeaters, lorikeets and native bees through the warmer months.
• Heat is not a problem. It takes long hot spells without scorching or dropping its canopy.

Where it works best

Shade tree. Allow 8m of clear space in every direction, its mature spread, and keep it well away from paving, pools and courtyards.

Windbreak and shelter. On acreage, a staggered double row at 8m to 10m spacing filters wind rather than forming a solid wall.

Driveways and avenues. Matched trees down a long drive read well at 10m apart, with lower limbs lifted above vehicle height.

Growing Eyre Yate Gum in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It takes light frost only, so cold inland districts, the tablelands and hard frosting southern gardens sit outside its range.

Soil. Not fussy. It grows on clay, loam and sand, copes with ground that stays wet after rain, and needs no soil improvement. Mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers to drive roots down, then rely on rainfall. A light native fertiliser in spring for the first few years is plenty. Heavy feeding only produces soft growth that snaps in wind.

Pruning. Remove competing leaders early so the tree builds one strong trunk, then lift the lower branches gradually. Beyond that, leave it alone. Gums resent hard pruning of mature limbs.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold in a single size, a 300mm pot, holding a young single stemmed tree around waist to chest height. Trees bought at this age establish faster than advanced stock and usually overtake it, so it is the sensible way to buy a gum.

Plants travel upright and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect little visible movement in the first month, then strong growth through the first warm season. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the Australian native tree range
• Compare fast growing shade trees
• Choosing shade trees for paddocks and acreage
• Plants suited to windbreaks and shelterbelts

Common questions

How fast does it grow?

With water through the first two summers, one to two metres of height a year is normal early on. Growth slows as the crown widens and energy goes into trunk and limbs.

Is it too big for a suburban backyard?

For most blocks, yes. At 15m tall and 8m wide it wants open lawn, a wide verge or acreage, not a courtyard or a narrow side boundary. Measure the space before you order.

Will it survive frost?

Light frost only. Young trees are the most vulnerable, so in districts that get more than the occasional white morning, choose a hardier species.

Does it drop a lot of litter?

Like most gums it sheds bark, leaves and spent flowers, heaviest through late spring and summer. Plan for that near pools and gutters, or site it where litter can stay on mulch.