Pink flowered eucalypts blooming... in Florida

Swamp Bloodwood eucalypts: pink flowered tropical ornamentals
Notes on phenology and cultivation of Corymbia ptychocarpa (ex Eucalyptus ptychocarpa)

Gustavo Iglesias Trabado
GIT Forestry Consulting - Consultoría y Servicios de Ingeniería Agroforestal - www.git-forestry.com - EUCALYPTOLOGICS

We have previously seen at EUCALYPTOLOGICS that one of the main ornamental features of Eucalyptus has to do with their flowers, their shapes, sizes and colours. Typical commonly cultivated species out of Australia usually have white stamens, and can be attractive both when individual flowers are of a big size, or when small sized flowers are well arranged in attractive clusters. But there are other possibilities with varying cold hardiness suitable for cultivation either in mediterranean, cold temperate or subtropical climates.

Fig. 1: Pink flower detail for Corymbia ptychocarpa at Harry P. Leu Gardens. (Image courtesy Eric Schmidt, click to enlarge)

Swamp Bloodwoods have started blooming by October at Leu Gardens (Orlando, Florida), our friend Eric Schmidt, resident Botanical Records Specialist, reports. And this type of tree is exactly one of the nice possibilities for the ornamental use of red or pink flowering eucalypts in tropical or subtropical climates.

Fig. 2: Pink blooms in C. ptychocarpa ssp. ptychocarpa at Leu Gardens. (Image courtesy Eric Schmidt, click to enlarge)

With two main subspecies (ssp. ptychocarpa and ssp. aptycha), the natural habitat of this eucalypt is the Northern Coast of Australia, spanning scattered from QLD to WA. Temperatures here are mild day-long and year-long, frost is unheard of, and humidity levels are regularly high all over the year or at least there is a marked rainy season at some point.

Not surprisingly, this bloodwood eucalypt has become popular as a small tree in parks and gardens of the Northern Territory, where it is native and can bloom from February to June.

Fig. 3: Large broad adult leaves of C. ptychocarpa at Leu Gardens. (Image courtesy Eric Schmidt, click to enlarge)

So it is popular overseas. As Ester Foelkel reminds us, C. ptychocarpa is the main pink flowering eucalypt cultivated in alike climates of Brazil. And as we see at Leu Gardens, it can also thrive and bloom in the mildest areas of Florida even in its early years.

Fig. 4: Val Littlewood's botanical sketch of Leaf and Fruit of C. ptychocarpa at Leu Gardens (Orlando, FL). Click the image to visit Val's Pencil and Leaf weblog, depicting the flora and fauna at Leu!

It could probably acclimatize well also in not so subtropical climates, with a mediterranean or mild temperate tendence even, as long as absolute minimum temperatures never go below -3ºC (25ºF, equating to USDA Zone 10 or the mildest part of Zone 9) and water supply is abundant, but not excessive. Unlike its close relative species C. ficifolia, it should not be too comfortable in arid conditions. Proper microclimates would increase the chance of survival, and sunny and sheltered spots would increase the chances of early blooming.

Worth to test as described in suitable areas of the TRO (safe), MED1 (risky) or EUCF (risky) zones for Eucalyptus cultivation in Europe, especially wherever blooming C. ficifolia can be used as indicator species. Not in vain some of the most popular ornamental eucalypt hybrid cultivars are the result of crossing both species.

Also in EUCALYPTOLOGICS...

Spinning Gum (E. perriniana) blooming in Galicia (NW Spain).

Pink flowered Eucalyptus leucoxylon 'Rosea' in bloom in the UK.
(Photo courtesy Matt Smith)

Snow Gums... in bloom

Anthesis in Eucalyptus robusta (Swamp Mahogany) flowers.
Photography by Brian Johnston (Click image to enlarge)

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© 2007-2008 Gustavo Iglesias Trabado. Please contact us if you want to use all or part of this text and photography elsewhere. We like to share, but we do not like rudeness.