Eucalyptus dalrympleana Maiden

A tree up to 120 ft in the wild; bark smooth, shed in large patches, pale cream at first, ageing through salmon-pink to light brown. Juvenile leaves green or glaucous, opposite, sessile, broadly ovate to orbicular, more or less cordate, and sometimes stem-clasping, at the base, 13⁄4 to 21⁄4 in. long. Adult leaves stalked, lanceolate or sickle-shaped, 4 to 7 in. long, 1⁄2 to 13⁄8 in. wide. Umbels three-flowered on a slightly flattened common-stalk 1⁄8 to 1⁄4 in. long; buds almost stalkless, ovoid or cylindrical, the operculum about equal in length to the calyx-tube. Capsules hemispherical or truncate-ovoid, about 1⁄3 in. wide; disk usually convex and prominent; valves exserted.

Native of Tasmania, Victoria, and New South Wales. This beautiful and fast-growing eucalyptus is unfortunately less hardy than E. gunnii, but since it ascends to 4,500 ft on the mainland it is possible that a more reliably hardy form might be found. The tree planted by R. C. Barnard at Brimley in Devon in 1956 lost all its leaves in the winter of 1962–3 but quickly recovered and in 1966 was 44 ft high. Seeds received from Australia under the name E. dalrympleana sometimes produce E. viminalis (q.v.), but that species has such different juvenile foliage that the mistake is apparent at an early stage.

From the Supplement (Vol. V)

specimens: Royal Horticultural Society’s Garden, Wisley, Surrey, pl. 1960, 66 × 51⁄2 ft (1983); Hillier Arboretum, Ampfield, Hants, pl. 1959, 72 × 4 ft (1984); Mount Usher, Co. Wicklow, Eire, pl. 1945, 80 × 61⁄2 ft (1975); Ardsallagh House, Co. Tipperary, Eire, pl. 1956, 54 × 5 ft (1975).