Red Ironbark

Red Ironbark (Eucalyptus tricarpa) is a slow growing native shade tree with deeply furrowed, almost black bark carried right out along the branches. In a garden it settles at roughly 12m tall and 8m wide over ten to fifteen years, well short of the 25m it reaches in forest. White through to deep pink flowers open in the cooler months.

Why you'll love it

• Bark that carries the tree. The rugged dark ironbark persists rather than shedding, so the trunk is worth looking at in every season, not only in flower.
• Flowers in the lean months. Blooms range from white to a genuine deep pink, arriving when little else in a dry garden is doing anything.
• A serious wildlife tree. Honeyeaters and lorikeets work the blossom, and it is a known nectar source for bees and butterflies.
• Built for hard country. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, wind tolerant and content in poor soil, which covers the sites that defeat exotic shade trees.

Where it works best

Shade tree. The canopy spreads to about 8m, so allow at least that much clearance from the house, the shed and any paving.

Driveways and avenues. Plant 8m to 10m apart along a drive so each crown develops fully and the dark trunks line up as a rhythm. Tighter spacing produces drawn, one sided trees.

Windbreak and feature planting. On a rural boundary it stands up to steady wind, and the trunk form carries a front garden on its own.

Growing Red Ironbark in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, always. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi-arid gardens, and being frost hardy it handles cold southern and inland winters. Constant wet tropical humidity is the one setting it does not enjoy.

Soil. Poor, shallow and gravelly soils are fine provided water drains away. Do not over improve the planting hole with rich compost, which pushes soft growth. Break up any compacted layer instead, and mulch 75mm deep clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Water deeply once a week through the first two summers to drive roots down, then leave it to the weather in all but extreme drought. If you feed, use a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring.

Pruning. Formative only. Remove competing leaders in the first few years so a single strong trunk develops, and lift the lower branches gradually for clearance underneath.

What to expect when it arrives

Red Ironbark is grown here in one size, a 45L pot: an established young tree with a formed trunk and real height on delivery, which suits a species this slow to get moving. Expect a well shaped small tree for several years before it reads as a canopy.

Trees are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Some leaf loss in transit is normal on a eucalypt and is not a fault. Stake it for the first year and expect new growth within six to eight weeks in the warm season. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Native plants that bring birds into the garden
• Browse the full Australian native tree range
• Choosing trees to line a driveway
• Compare other driveway and avenue trees

Common questions

How big will it get in a suburban garden?

Around 12m tall and 8m wide over ten to fifteen years. Forest specimens go far higher, but garden conditions and a slow growth rate keep it well below that.

How close to the house can I plant it?

Give it at least 8m from the building, paving and services. No amount of pruning changes the scale it is heading for.

Will it survive frost and drought?

Both, which is why it works in cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens alike. The first two summers still need regular deep watering.

Does it drop bark and make a mess?

Less than most gums. Ironbarks hold their bark on the trunk instead of shedding it in strips, so the litter is mainly leaves and spent flowers.