IRISH GARDENING 



H7 



hamensis, is supposed, to be a hybrid, as it 

 partakes of the characters of both E. Gunnii and 

 E. urnigera. It is extremely large, being 65 feet 

 high and 13i feet in girth, though it was killed 

 to near the ground in the severe winter of 1860. 

 It was raised from seed collected in Tasmania 

 by the late Marquess of Salisbury about 1851, 

 and produces seed regularly, from which 

 numerous seedlings have been raised. These 

 vary somewhat in their foliage, and are ?jS a rule 

 very thriving and perfectly hardy plants. One 

 of the oldest may be seen in the Rose Garden 

 near the Pagoda at Kew. 



E. Muelleri * is a rare species, which is said to 

 attain 200 feet in height in Tasmania, on the 

 range dividing the Huon and Derwent water- 

 sheds at 2,000 feet altitude. Mueller, the great 

 authority whose name it bears, stated that it 

 is the only Eucalyptus of large size and with 

 good timber which bears frost. Whether it will 

 ever have any economic value in Ireland is 

 doubtful ; but it is satisfactory to know that the 

 two finest specimens in Europe are growing in a 

 plantation at Derreen in Kerry. These beautiful 

 trees were in 1911 about 60 feet in height and 



4 feet 3 inches and 5 feet in girth. They were 

 planted in 1880, and are growing in soil winch 

 the Marquise of Lansdowne describes as being 

 almost pure peat. As showing their rapid 

 growth two Conifers near them which were 

 -planted in 1878 are the same height, 60 feet — 

 one, Cupressus macrocarpa, girthing 6 feet 

 10 inches ; the other, Tsuga Albertiana, girthing 



5 feet 1 inch. This species is probably not quite 

 so hardy as E. urnigera. which it resembles in 

 foliage, but is a much finer tree. The seeds 

 must be procured from Tasmania, as the species 

 is not known to any of the dealers in tree- 

 seeds. 



E. vernicosa is the dwarf Alpine representative 

 of E. Muelleri. growing on the summits of the 

 higher Tasmanian mountains, and scarcely ever 

 surpassing 20 feet in height. Mr. Birkbeck 

 states that it is the hardiest species, forming 

 a beautiful shrub and not developing into a tree. 

 It occurs in a few Scottish gardens, but I have 

 never seen a specimen in England or Ireland. 

 It is highly ornamental, and well worth growing 

 in our gardens. 



E. pauciflora, also known under the synonym 

 E. coriacea, occurs both in Australia and in 

 Tasmania. In cultivation it forms a tree with 

 very pendulous branches and abundance of 

 flowers (in direct opposition to the name 

 bestowed on it). It does not appear to be 

 always hardy, but this doubtless depends on 



* Described by T. B. Moore in 1886, and to be 

 distinguished from two other species of the same 

 name, which were described by Miquel and 

 Naudin. 



the locality whence the seeds are derived. An 

 old tree at Fota is about 50 feet high by 6 feet 

 8 inches in girth. This is one of the numerous 

 kinds grown at Rossdohan. 



E. viminalis is a widely spread species, occur- 

 ring in Tasmania as a small tree, but reaching 

 an enormous size in Australia. It has behaved 

 differently in various places as regards the degree 

 of cold which it will bear without injur} ; but 

 in all probability this depends, as in the case of 

 the last species, on the locality where the seeds 

 are gathered. It has grown very fast at Mount 

 Usher, where a tree raised from seed in 1904 

 was 28 feet high and bearing fruit in October. 

 1911. There are larger specimens at Rossdohan. 



E. cordata, from Tasmania, and E. pulveru- 

 lenta, from Australia, are closely allied,* and are 

 peculiar in the fact that they retain in the adult 

 stage the opposite leaves — without stalks, cor- 

 date at the base, and spreading horizontally , 

 which are characteristic of the youthful stage of 

 all Eucalypti. The other species after a time 

 change their foliage and bear alternate leaves 

 which are stalked and hang vertically. Leaves 

 of this kind are never seen on these two species. 

 E. cordata is a handsome species, flowering early 

 in life, and never attaining a great height. A 

 specimen at St. Anne's, near Dublin, which was 

 planted out in 1904, has passed, through one of 

 two severe winters, and was 20 feet high in 1909. 

 There are also trees at Rostrevor and Castle- 

 wellan. E. pulverulenta is probably less hardy : 

 but there are specimens at Kilmacurragh, Mount 

 Usher, and Castlewellan which have not 

 suffered from frost as yet. 



E. Beauchampiana was raised at Truro by 

 Messrs. Treseder from seed obtained direct from 

 New South Wales, and is identical with the 

 Apple Eucalyptus of that region to which Mr. 

 Maiden applies the name E. Stuartiana. It is 

 not very hardv. and was killed at Wisley in 

 1908-1909, when the temperature fell to 7|° F. 

 There is a tree at Mount Usher, 20 feet high 

 and bearing flowers in October, 1911. which was 

 raised from seed obtained from the Sydney 

 Botanic Garden in 1904. 



At Rossdohan, Co. Kerry, a considerable 

 number of other species have been tried, and 

 amongst these E. stellulata produced flowers and 

 fruit. This wonderful garden is. however, so 

 exceptional in the mildness of its climate as to be 

 no criterion for Ireland generally; and I have 

 confined my remarks to the species which are 

 either perfectly hardy or which will grow at 

 any rate in most districts near the sea. 



* E. cordata has quadrangular twigs and nep«rly 

 orbicular crenate leaves, both the twigs and leaves 

 being roughened with prominent oil-glands. 

 E. pulverulenta has round smooth twigs and 

 smooth ovate entire leaves 



