Mallees for the home garden
Don’t think you have enough room in your garden for a eucalypt? Space is no barrier with these small species that have masses of appeal, writes JOSH BYRNE
Nothing says Australia quite like a eucalypt. Loaded with iconic traits such as striking foliage, nose-clearing oil, bird-magnet flowers and woody fruit, eucalypts have earned a spot in the garden for many reasons, and space needn’t be a barrier.
When we venture into the drier parts of the country, we find smaller species in the mallee group, which makes up nearly half the eucalypt species. These survivors have evolved to grow multiple short stems, rather than a single trunk, and a lignotuber, a round woody growth at the base that’s full of buds and energy reserves to help them recover quickly from fire and drought.
Also small, but with a single trunk and no lignotuber, are mallets; unlike mallees, these won’t regrow if cut back to the ground.
There are some stunners available for the home garden. Here are some of my Western Australian favourites, along with options for gardens in other climate zones.
Bell-fruited mallee (Eucalyptus preissiana)
If you want high-impact flowers in a small space, this low-growing eucalypt is for you. It produces large yellow flowers, followed by eye-catching woody fruit, from an early age. It likes good drainage and hates frost.
Jingymia mallee (E. synandra)
Dainty, with an open habit and delicate clusters of pale pink flowers, this is one of the prettiest little mallees around. Its light canopy allows other plants to happily grow underneath. It is very drought-hardy, surviving on just 250mm of annual rainfall, and needs good drainage and low humidity.
Four-winged mallet (E. brandiana)
Also known as square-fruited mallet, this rare species looks like it’s from another world. It has large leathery leaves, striking magenta-pink flowers, and four-sided woody fruit the size of a cricket ball. It is a fast grower, but must be grown from seed. The closely related and more commonly seen red-flowered E. tetraptera is a sprawling, multi-stemmed mallee, 1–3m tall and wide, that resprouts from a lignotuber. Both need well-drained soil and full sun.
Weeping gum (E. sepulcralis)
Aptly named, this small, slender, drooping mallee is ideal for smaller gardens or even large containers. With its beautiful smooth, silvery bark, it looks dramatic planted en masse. In summer, it produces large yellow flowers that contrast with the blue-green leaves. This tree grows in full sun or semi-shade, and needs well-drained, preferably sandy soil. It is drought tolerant and frost-hardy once established.
Southern Cross silver mallee (E. crucis)
This rounded mallee has spectacular rich, coppery-red miniritchie bark, which means the bark splits and curls to reveal the green trunk underneath. This contrasts beautifully with the tree’s waxy grey-green leaves. Creamy white flowers emerge in November, followed by interesting flat fruit. Named after the town in Western Australia where it is found, this mallee needs to be grown in well-drained soil in an open, sunny spot. It tolerates drought and light frost.
Gippsland mallee (E. kitsoniana)
If you don’t have the well-drained soil that most Western Australian mallees need to thrive, try growing the Gippsland mallee, which is also known as bog gum. This small, fast-growing tree produces white flowers, glossy green leaves and attractive peeling bark. It’s perfect for wet areas or sites that are sometimes flooded.
Plunkett mallee (E. curtisii)
Native to Queensland, this is one of the few mallees that grows best in warm, humid areas north of Sydney. It is a fast-growing tree with smooth grey bark, and masses of bird-attracting white flowers in spring. It prefers well-drained soil, and tolerates drought and moderate frosts.
Bushy yate (E. lehmannii)
The dramatic flower buds of this eucalypt from the south coast of Western Australia look like clusters of thin fingers before the caps drop to reveal dense, green-yellow flowers in spring and summer. It has orange-pink or grey bark, and spiky fruit that look like medieval weapons. This fast grower tolerates a range of free-draining soils, and light frost once established.
Ooldea mallee (E. youngiana)
One of the most attractive small eucalypts, this mallee features reddish new growth, and bark that is rough around the base of the trunk and smooth above. But it’s the large flowers that are most striking. Red, yellow or pink blooms emerge from globular buds throughout winter and spring, followed by gumnuts that are large and ribbed. Found in central desert areas, this mallee needs hot, dry summers, along with frost protection when young.