I was recently looking through my seed sowing journal from past seasons, and was surprised to see that I’d started Eucalyptus on February 11 of that first year. I ‘d sown just 40 seeds, and by February 29th had 33 growing “extremely well” (according to my notes). I’m not sure why I started them so late; perhaps my seeds arrived later than I expected, or I simply wasn’t aware that they needed to be started earlier. (Who knows why we do what we do when we don’t know better!) When I did harvest them for September bouquets that year, I was dismayed at their lacklustre performance, post-cut (floppy stems, short vase life). but simultaneously enamored with the plant’s blue-green foliage and intoxicating scent. I had to try again.

It wasn’t until the following year, after a longer growing season, that I began to understand that, like many herbs and foliage used for cut flower production, Eucalyptus shouldn’t be cut until stems are woody and leaves feel leathery to the touch (also, if the tip of the stem is drooping note that it’ll also do the same in the vase). Here in zone 5b, Eucalyptus takes nine to 10 months from seed to harvest. Sometimes there are harvestable stems ready by mid-September, but I’ve found that the longer I wait the stronger the stem and the longer the vase life. I’ve even left them through a week or two of frost with no ill effects on the stem quality. While they won’t survive our cold Canadian winters (without a lot of mulch) they are more resilient than you might think.

While Eucalyptus originated in Australia the trees and shrubs of this genus can now be found all over the world. There are many varieties to choose from and seeds are easy to source whether you’re a commercial grower or home gardener. In the past I’ve ordered from West Coast Seeds, William Dam Seeds and Halifax Seeds, though for the last several years I’ve been using seeds ordered directly from Australia via Australian Seed. Some of my favourite varieties are Silver Dollar, Baby Blue and Moon Lagoon.

In terms of growing Eucalyptus, the process is fairly straightforward. Because they’re relatively fast-growing (compared to lisianthus) I don’t bother using soil blocks, preferring to over-sow (multiple seeds per cell) directly into 128-cell trays. The soil is kept moist and warm until germination and then removed from the heat. Eucalyptus do not like to be overwatered and will signal their distress by developing tiny little bumps along their leaves. If this happens to your seedlings just back off on the watering, allowing the plant to almost (but not quite) dry out between waterings. This could be every few days or once a week, depending on your environment and how generous you are in your watering habits.

Here at the tail end of week two, the Eucalyptus have all been sown and I’m eagerly awaiting their arrival in the next few days. Even the tiny cotyledons (the first leaves that appear on a plant; not the “true” leaves) smell wonderful!

Where to find

If interested in trying out Eucalyptus in your own cutting garden this growing season, single plants and packs of six will be available for purchase on the website this spring. Our Eucalyptus can also be found in the last summer subscription bouquets, or as straight bunches in our Premium Subscription. Dried Eucalyptus bunches will also be added to the online shop later this month (as soon as I get to sorting through my many bins of dried flowers!).

In week three I’ll be sowing the last of my lisianthus seeds, and sharing more about how I’m approaching crop planning in 2025.

See you next week!

Liisa