spotted gum
Eucalyptus maculata · Myrtaceae
spotted gum (Eucalyptus maculata) is catalogued by the USDA PLANTS database. USDA records it as hardy in zone 8 and warmer, down to about 19°F.
At a glance
| Mature height | 75 ft USDA |
|---|---|
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Water need | high USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 6–8 USDA |
| Bloom | December–February USDA |
| Flower color | White USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 8 and warmer USDA |
| Nursery availability | Contracting Only USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It needs full sun. USDA rates it as having needs consistently moist ground. Its drought tolerance is rated low. It is recorded on soils from pH 6 to 8 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 8.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 75 ft, making it a large tree that will dominate its site. It grows quickly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of December through February. Flowers are white.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is dark green, coarse in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its fruit or seed heads are conspicuous, extending interest past flowering. Its active growth period is spring, summer, fall. USDA rates its lifespan as long.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 20 to 80 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 180 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 20 inches. Fertility requirement: low — no feeding needed on ordinary garden soil.
Propagating it
Propagate it from seed, bare root and container stock. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a slow rate. It does not spread vegetatively, so it will stay where you put it.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals rate it barely palatable — the sourced basis for calling it deer-resistant. Its fire tolerance is rated low. Its growth form is recorded as single stem.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Eucalyptus
- river redgum Eucalyptus camaldulensis
- Tasmanian bluegum Eucalyptus globulus
- grand eucalyptus Eucalyptus grandis
- white ironbark Eucalyptus leucoxylon
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol EUMA23, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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