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Article from New Trees by John Grimshaw & Ross Bayton
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'Eucalyptus subcrenulata' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.
Tree to 18 m. Bark smooth throughout, grey to white or yellowish green. Branchlets yellowish green. Juvenile leaves green, sessile or short-petiolate, opposite, elliptic to ovate (rarely orbicular), margins crenulate. Adult leaves alternate, shiny green, 5–10 × 1.5–2.5 cm, lanceolate, lateral veins indistinct, margins subcrenulate, apex acuminate; petiole terete, 1.5–2.5 cm long. Inflorescences axillary and solitary; umbellasters with three flowers. Flower buds ovoid, slightly wrinkled, 0.3–0.4 cm long; hypanthium campanulate, 0.4–0.5 cm wide; stamens white. Capsule hemispherical to campanulate, sometimes two-ribbed, 0.5–0.8 cm diameter; valves three to four, flush or exserted. Chippendale 1988. Distribution AUSTRALIA: Tasmania (between Lake Fenton and Lake Dobson). Habitat Occurs at altitudes above 800 m asl. USDA Hardiness Zone 8. Conservation status Not evaluated. Illustration NT362.
Eucalyptus subcrenulata brings a welcome change of foliage colour, having leaves that are a glossy dark green instead of the usual greyish colour expected in the genus. It also has excellent bark, reddish when the tree is young but becoming smooth silvery grey and cream, flaking to reveal patches of yellow-orange or green. It forms an upright, columnar specimen, growing quite rapidly, and in Oregon has achieved 8 m in three and a half years (S. Hogan, pers. comm. 2007). The white flowers, appearing in late summer, contrast well with the dark foliage. Its origin in damp conditions in Tasmania brings many advantages, particularly its wide-spreading and very stable root system, and its adaptability to garden conditions. It is hardy to about –12 ºC but below that will suffer dieback of the trunk, although sprouting from the lignotuber has occurred after temperatures that dipped below –20 ºC (Hogan 2008). There are several fine specimens in the Hillier Gardens, of which the largest (planted in 1981) was 21.4 m (35 cm dbh) in 2008.