Eucalyptus tree

[Tizzybudd]

Have recently bought a house with a eucalyptus tree in the front garder. It seems far too big for the samll space its growing in and blocks out light indoors. Have been told that they are very quick growing and can be cut back quite fiercely - does anyone have any experience of this - am tempted to get rid of it altogether...

Many thanks,

[vehelpfulguy]

By mistake we planted one of these about 10 years ago. It grew very quickly and became very tall and stragley.

It is not really suitable as a garden tree and their are much better trees for a UK garden.

We got rid of ours, suggest you do the same.

[andyjevs]

They can indeed be cut hard back to form a bush rather than a tree but it's usually done when the tree is young. Weather a mature tree will tolerate being cut back very hard is difficult to say.

I planted a 2' high tree in 1990 and it is now 60' tall.....i have never seen anything grow so quick in 25 years of profesional gardening !!!

[Lonnie]

My neighbour planted one not far from the backs of the houses, and its presently about twenty foot tall, and growing, if anyone reading Tizzy's post knows anything about the root system, i'd be pleased to know.

[shaneystar2]

Get rid of it asap.We had one in the garden.We moved here two years ago and it grew about ten feet in a year. I read somewhere that the root system doesn't go round things but through them. Also they leech nutrients from the soil :We chopped it down. I didn't like doing it but it had to go.It was taking over the whole garden! We got some nice firewood though !

[logman]

I find it incredible how many people get fooled into buying and planting eucalyptus trees in small gardens and i blame it mostly on garden centres for not giving sufficient info on the trees they sell, young trees are very pretty with delicate silver/blue leaves, but what people are not told is that this is just its juvinile foliage and this will change after a few short years and completely outgrow all but the largest of gardens.

Fortunately it can be cut virtually down to ground level (coppiced) and it will redily send up new shoots which can be easily managed to the required hight-spread. The new sucker growth will also have the small juvenile folliage.

Maybe you can try cutting it back first before you decide whether to get rid of it all together..

[Tizzybudd]

thanks everybody - given us some food for thought - am particularly interested in this coppicing idea but am concerned about the roots as it is very close to the house!

[logman]

Your loal council should have a tree officer on hand, who should be able to give expert advice, its possible he /she could make an assessment, based on his experience in these matters, re roots etc..

[Dolly1308]

This is a n Australian tree and they do grow to a great size and they blow over very easily in storms .I live in Queensland and I while I love the trees in the countryside away from houses ,I would not have one in my Garden .