Grey Box

Grey Box (Eucalyptus microcarpa) is a shade tree for the long term, reaching around 12m tall and 8m across with a broad crown and pale, box textured bark. It comes from the inland woodlands of south eastern Australia, so drought, heat, poor soil and frost are all built in. Cream flowers in the warmer months bring honeyeaters and native bees in numbers.

Why you'll love it

• Real shade, not dappled shade. A mature crown around 8m across throws usable shade over stock, a turning circle or a house yard.
• Built for hard country. Drought tolerant, heat tolerant, frost hardy, wind firm and content in poor soil, so it holds on through seasons that kill softer trees.
• A working native. Cream blossom feeds honeyeaters, lorikeets and native bees, and the rough bark shelters the insects the birds hunt.
• Almost no maintenance. Once established it asks for nothing: no feeding, no watering, no shaping.

Where it works best

Shade trees on acreage. Give it 10m of clear space in every direction. This is a full sized tree, so keep it well away from houses, paving, septic lines and water pipes.

Windbreaks and shelter belts. Plant 8m to 10m apart in a row, or stagger two rows at that spacing so the belt filters wind across a paddock rather than blocking it.

Feature planting. A single specimen in open lawn develops the spreading habit the species is known for.

Growing Grey Box in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, always. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid to semi arid gardens, which covers most of inland and southern Australia. It handles frost once in the ground and will not object to a long, hot summer.

Soil. Undemanding. Clay loams, gravel and shallow low fertility soils all suit it, and it prefers them to a rich, constantly watered garden bed. The one thing it will not accept is ground that stays waterlogged.

Water and feed. Water deeply once a week through the first two summers to draw the roots down, then leave it alone. Feeding is unnecessary, and native trees pushed with fertiliser grow soft, weak wood.

Pruning. Remove low branches in the first few years if you want clearance underneath, and take out narrow, tight forks while they are small. Beyond that, never top it. Let the natural crown develop.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown in a 45L pot and arrives as an established young tree with a clear trunk and a developing head. Eucalypts do better planted out and left to move than staked rigidly, so loosen the ties early and let the trunk flex, which is what thickens it. Growth is steady rather than rapid, so expect a decade or more before it reads as a mature shade tree.

Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. 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 shade trees for farm paddocks
• Browse the Australian native tree range
• Plants suited to windbreaks and shelter belts
• Drought tolerant choices for dry gardens

Common questions

How close to a house can I plant it?

Not close. At 12m tall with an 8m crown and a root plate to match, allow at least 15m from a dwelling and keep it well clear of paving, pipes and septic trenches.

How fast does it grow?

Slowly by eucalypt standards, which is part of the appeal, because the wood is dense and the tree holds together in wind. Expect useful shade in eight to ten years.

Will it handle frost and drought?

Yes to both. It is frost hardy and genuinely drought tolerant once established, which is why it dominates the box woodlands of the inland south east.

Is it suitable for a suburban backyard?

Only a large one. On a standard block the mature spread will swallow the garden, so a smaller native tree is the better choice.