Tasmanian Blue Gum

"Eucalyptus globulus was first collected on the south-east coast of Tasmania in 1792"

The Blue Gum was featured on a 15 cent stamp issued on 10 July 1968

Tasmanian Blue Gum Eucalyptus globulus Tasmanian Blue Gum - (Eucalyptus globulus)

Tasmanian Blue Gum is a tall straight evergreen tree and often grows to 65 -70 metres. The tree has grey bark and has a roughness about it.

The tree grows in the tall open forest in south-eastern Tasmania and along the eastern coast of the State. The climate needs to be coolish or mild, and the tree requires plenty of water so wetter winters and summers with reasonable rainfall. As the Blue gum is a very tall evergreen tree that is not tolerant to severe frosts.

The leaves are a broad dark shining green covered with a blue-grey waxy bloom on square stems and are about 5 to 15 cm long. The cream coloured flowers have yellow centre and burst to life.

While it can be propagated well from seed is not really suitable for cultivation in normal gardens. However the tree is recommended as a great tree for council parks or larger open gardens.
Interestingly the Blue Gum is grown successfully in large gardens in Cornwall, England, where damp climate is favourable, cool to mild.

The flowers are usually to high to reach, so while beautiful are inaccessible and are rarely available for indoor display or decoration. However the larger bluish grey younger leaves are very desirable for the unusual colour effect and eucalyptus fragrance making for a very suitable as backing material in floral decoration.

Tasmanian Blue Gum is a hearty tree that produces a very hard and lasting timber which is used in Australia for poles, piles and railway sleepers. The modern day tree is grown in New Zealand, South Africa, South America, California, India and the Mediterranean and used as windbreaks, forestry and ornamental plantations and is happily planted and admired for its rapidity of growth, straight trunk and the strength in the timber.

Tasmanian Blue Gum is the official State Flower of Tasmania but it is seldom used for either official or popular purposes.