I got some eucalyptus seeds from Banana Joe a year ago.... only one made it to transplanting, but it is growing like crazy!!! I don't know if it is the same kind as yours (I suspect not) but it was 6" when I put it in the ground this spring and it is now 9ft tall! Like you, I have it in a very sheltered, warm and sunny spot..... I think it is trying to take over the world!

Very cool! I love your house colors too!

Love the house color too.

I know nothing about that particular Euc but when I lived and worked in horticulture in Phoenix, planting one that close to the house would be a nightmare. I'm worried about your foundation and plumbing. They heave and crack patios, sidewalks, driveways etc.

Hoping yours is a less formidable species.

Fortunately there isn't any plumbing there. The raised bed it is in has a creeklet running at the foot of the cottage stones so if its roots go down about one foot it will hit water. It really likes water. I measured some branchlets from yesterday to today and it grew 6" yesterday. This tree is beserkly happy.

We sponge-painted the house 8 different colors and used metallic car paint, 2 colors, to vein the house like lightning/rain. The veins sparkle and glitter in the sun. We planted Lee's Dark Purple Rhodies all along the house in raised beds, so the trim color is the exact color of the rhody blooms and a bunch of other flowers here. Basically we painted the house to match the jungle the yard will be in a few years, so the house will blend in and "disappear."

Hope the foundation will be OK. It's a big concrete slab with a manufactured house on it. There's so much great dirt and water in the yard I'm hoping the roots will seek that out rather than under the foundation.

Who knows exactly which Euc it is. Frank the Eucalyptus Man has some doubts whether it's really a subcrenulata. I just want it to be happy.

Here's a picture of this Euc May 12 of this spring, just a little baby. It's now way over the roof, have to prime and paint some hooks and bungee it to the eves because it flops over when the sprinkler water weighs it down.

Everything's grown so much, roots finally taking hold a bit. Very excited about next spring. Hope this winter is mild and next spring very wet. More rain in the summer sure would be helpful. Lucky Washington State got rain this summer!

Well, Frank the Eucalyptus Man, a hero, came over Friday 9/7/7 and says it's definitely NOT a subcrenulata but rather a crenulata! It's really going bonkers.

All the Eucalyptus but 2 that we've planted are now growing super fast. And we just bought 5 more from Frank, 5 perfect babies that will get big and provide evergreen shade and absorb the west sun. Yea!

Got pictures of some of the others we planted but still have to take 3 not on the latest developed roll.

Here's the Eucalyptus camphora, a swamp gum called Broad Leaved Sally. It's in a little creeklet and has between 1 - 8" standing water. Planted less than a year ago:

Eucalyptus Scoparia:

Eucalyptus perriniana, Spinning Gum. A little hard to distinguish, is in a raywood ash we thought was dead but which as sprung back to life a bit, leaves coming out along main vertical branches. The birds like to perch up there. The spinning gum is growing so fast, outgrown all stakes available, so we're tying it to raywood ash up there to prop it up.

The baby eucs we just bought from Frank and hope to plant next weekend, replacing some arbor vitae that died and absorbing intense western sun:

Another Euc scoparia, such a gorgeous tree
Euc niphophilia, gets 80' tall, white-orange-yellow bark
Eucalyptus chapmaniana, Bogong Gum, 90' tall, likes wet
Euc nitens, Shining Gum, gets 230' tall, likes water, sun, grows extremely rapidly
Euc gunnii divaricata, miena blue cidar gum, hardy, likes water, 120' tall, grows very fast, extraordinary blue color, brilliant

Hi. Nice to see your Eucalyptus growing. I grew up in a forest of Eucalyptus my grandfather made himself.
I am going to plant a large area of land I purchased overseas, with Eucalyptus, and re live my grandfather's dream.
I am going to purchase the "Eucalyliptus Regnans", known as Mountain Ash. This big fella is the tallest hardwood tree, reaching 300 feet in height! Yes!!!! Also will plant the "Eucalytus Globulos", known as Bluegum , which grows to a height of 230 feet!!!
These are beautifull trees, if you have the land, go for them. Never prune / trim these trees, that is a bad mistake. Prunning / trimming destroys the balance and the continuity of the branches, and replaces the balanced stem system with several big branches growing off the prunned area, creating a stress area that is prone to failure.
Off course, naturally drying branches and naturally broken branches should be taken catre of, but these trees are very strong, and only bad life, like droughts, weaken their wood and root system like any other tree. Well kept, once mature, these goliaths are indestructible.
What is Mr Eucalyptus Man address??, I would like to inquire about the varieties he has.
Thanks.
Jaime.______________________________________________-

Ah, what timing. Frank the Eucalyptus Man called me yesterday afternoon from Ohio. He may start a mail order biz in the future but for now he is experiencing major life changes and does not have any more eucs. Very sad. He is so knowledgeable and passionate about trees. A wonderful seed collector who went far and wide to find hardy seeds died in an accident this year, and this has brought sorrow to the euc community.

That crenulata, subject of this thread, is growing very very fast and flowering now. Will take a picture. It's about 2' above the roof now and wide.

I took a bunch of pictures from the neighbor's yard of our new baby eucs planted last September but the light wasn't right, pics are hard to see, but here's a few (we have more eucs but those pics are too dark to see, will go out with camera again this week):

Looking forward to that Nitens 230' in 14 years ... don't know how big the Bogong will get ... the 1st Scoparia is growing fast, the new baby Scoparia very fast, the Gunii slow, the Camphora fast, the Crenulata fast, the Spinning Wheel medium, the Urn medium, the Niphophilia slow, and the Snow very slow, the Volcanica very fast.

Nice!

Jaime, Ian in WA may have varieties. Frank mentioned him and Ian is on this and several boards. He's been a wonderful poster so we just have to set our sights north. Good luck with planting a euc forest overseas. Where? Will you aim for variety? What happened to your grandfather's euc forest?

Hi Cascadians. Hope to get in touch with Ian sometime. My grandfather passed away long time ago. He bought a big piece of land away from the city ( at that time it was away, not any more LOL ) He planted plenty of Eucalyptus , the Blue Gum variety, all around the perimeter, and at the center he made a mini forest, mini, but large enough. This land was cheap at the time, about the size of a golf course. He had other trees as well, but the theme was Eucalyptus. As a kid, I grew up in that enviroment, every Sunday, the whole family getting together in there. I was enamored with such display, and that imprinted in my mind.
When he died, his children inherited and parted the land out, I was so mad, but, not everyone loves nature like some of us do. The area my father kept, remains intact, and I love it.
Well, 2 of my brothers have opened business in northern Peru, close the the border with Ecuador. They have small beach hotels, very cozy and nice. I have secured some land in land from there, it is nice, rural land, and I want to make a nice Eucalyptus forest. And I want these trees to grow to their fullest, which will happen in about 200 years, so I will make sure the land remains intact, if necesary, I will donate it as a national park, so it becomes untouchable. Something like a conditional estate, as long as my wishes are kept, the land is to be kept as a national park.
No lumber companies,no corrupt officials, no special interests, just nature as it was intended.
Thanks for the interest.
Jaime._____________________________________________

Jaime, you're my type of guy for sure. Anybody who loves trees, plants them and works to be sure they're not cut down is a good soul. May all your feelings and memories of childhood in your grandfather's forest come true in your own.

For lots of euc info, go here:
http://members3.boardhost.com/eucalyptus/msg/1217614186.html
Hardy Eucalyptus Board

Here is a link that might be useful: Hardy Eucalyptus Board

Thanks Cascadians. The Eucalyptus blood runs in my family. I will keep you posted.
Jaime._________________________________________________ :)