Eucalyptus citriodora

Eucalyptus citriodora, has a very aromatic foliage, with a scent of lemongrass, used in aromatherapy in the form of essential oil of Lemon Eucalyptus. This tender tree can reach large dimensions in open ground and in a favourable climate. Its greyish, evergreen foliage perfumes the air in humid weather. This eucalyptus is also appreciated for its decorative bark, the straightness of its trunk and the transparency of its foliage providing light shade. Its cultivation does not present any particular difficulty in well-drained soil, even poor and dry in summer. It adapts to pot culture where it can be maintained for several years. This allows amateur gardeners to shelter it from the cold in winter.

Eucalyptus citriodora is a tree from the Myrtaceae family, native to the east of Australia, specifically Queensland. In nature, it can reach about 50 m (164 ft) in height. In gardens, it rarely exceeds 27 m (88 ft 7 in) in height and 18 m (59 ft 1 in) in spread. Growing in pots allows it to be kept in much more modest proportions, at least during its young years, and to be grown outdoors during the warm season in all regions. It is a species of light and acidic or basic soil (rich in volcanic rocks like basalt or peridotite), but not very chalky, filtering and poor. This eucalyptus hates heavy, compact, very clayey soils. Young plants must be protected from frost.

The habit of the Lemon Eucalyptus is not very branching, its very straight trunk supports a light and not very developed crown. It is covered with a fibrous bark that changes colour with the seasons: it goes from white to pink or light beige while exfoliating in small irregular plates, generally at the end of June. The evergreen leaves are entire, narrow and lanceolate (ending in a point), 7 to 15 cm (2.8 to 5.9 in) long, and 0.7 cm (0 and 0.3 in) to 1.5 cm (0.6 in) wide. Their colour is a beautiful soft grey-green. The shape of the leaves varies depending on the age of the branch that carries them: on young shoots, they are broad, downy, and slightly waffled in appearance. Subsequently, the leaves that develop are carried by a long petiole, they lengthen and become leathery and smooth. In pots, the bush can be pruned each year in the spring. Flowering occurs in summer, on mature trees. The cream-yellow flowers are grouped by 11 to 20 units in inflorescences that are born in the leaf axil. The fruits of Eucalyptus citriodora are small woody capsules containing many very fine seeds.

The Lemon Eucalyptus can be planted in open ground only on a narrow strip of the Mediterranean coast, and in pots everywhere else. It is used as a single specimen, in alignment or in a grove in a large garden. Traditionally, the mimosas (Acacia sp) are among the few bushes and trees that appreciate the close company of the Eucalyptus, which deplete the soil's reserves of water and food. In an exotic setting, they can be combined with large palm trees (Jubea chilensis), Banksia, Metrosideros, or large Grevillea...

Uses in aromatherapy: rubbing the foliage on the skin would keep mosquitoes away. Due to its composition rich in anti-inflammatory principles, Lemon Eucalyptus is traditionally used to soothe rheumatic pains. The essential oil is also reputed for its calming and relaxing effects in case of stress, or difficulty falling asleep.