I have a Eucalyptus Silver Drop that I grew from seed last winter. I planted it outside this summer, and it did very well. I dug it up to prepare to bring it in, but last night, the temps dropped to -5C, and it looks like it sustained frost damage. From what I have read, this species is E. gunnii, and is supposed to be hardy to -15C. Do I have a different plant that can't tollerate frost, or what? Do I really have E. gunnii, and how hardy is it?
Eucalyptus transplant poorly if at all from open ground. You may not have had any damage had it been left in place. Seedling of many plants are also less hardy than their adult phase.
I had it in a pot for over a week with no ill effects - until last night. Do you think it is dead, or will it come back? I would have had lots of damage had I left it in place - we get down to -35C here in winter. Do you think Silver Drop is E. gunnii though?
Don't have any idea if it's E. gunnii but what I was saying is it must be in a container if you want it to survive from year to year. You could bury the pot in the ground for the Summer if you like. Keep it warm and well lit, don't water unless the soil pulls away from the edge of the container.
It does seem like the Eucalyptus called Silver Drop is indeed Eucalyptus gunnii, but as to what Silver Drop is (a cultivar? a trademark? a common name?), I don't know. The RHS Plant Finder is inconclusive on the matter.
Plunging pots in ordinary soil results in reduced aeration within the container, where the roots need plenty of air. Unless very sandy soil is usual in your area. But even there it often results in roots no longer being only in the container. You pull the plant up at the end of the term in the ground to find it has come out the drain holes. When this migration has been allowed to advance far enough there may no longer be much new root activity within the container, resulting in a trauma to the specimen if the roots outside the pot are damaged or removed. Hardiness of gums varies within the species. In one Oregon trial tops of closely related seedlings lined out in a field ran from quite dead to completely intact after a cold spell. If you look at the Eucaplyptus table in the Sunset Western Garden Book (2007, Sunset Publishing, Menlo Park) minimum temperature ranges are given for each species, rather than a single figure.
Thanks. I had no intention on planting the pot in the ground. I understand the problems. I grew this from seed in a coco fibre pot (coconut version of a peat pot) and planted it in outside. I dug it up now and put it in a pot for the winter. I will leave it in a pot from now on, just potting it up when it needs it. I don't have a picture, but there is one in the catalogue from where I got it. http://www.ttseeds.com/PHP/mcat.php?mitem=B118&search=EUCALYPTUS+ Is that enough to ID it with? It looks okay, and seems to have perked up a bit, but we'll see. If it dies, I'll just try again. I know I can get more seeds. Thanks for the help.
