Eucalyptus regnans seeds

Eucalyptus regnans, the giant gum or royal gum, is one of the largest trees in the world and the tallest of the eucalypts. Its slender, almost vertical trunk, conical habit and evergreen foliage in shades of green to grey-green give it an architectural presence. In a mild, cool, damp oceanic climate, it quickly forms an outstanding specimen, remarkable as a standalone tree in the middle of a lawn. It is offered here in the form of seeds for gardeners with plenty of space to follow the growth of this giant step by step, from sowing to mature tree. 
Growing from seed means you can obtain this eucalyptus at a lower cost with a little skill and patience, and it produces trees better adapted to their soil.

Eucalyptus regnans belongs to the Myrtaceae family. It is commonly known as the royal gum, giant gum or giant eucalyptus. From a botanical standpoint, there are two main synonyms: Eucalyptus amygdalina var. regnans and Eucalyptus regnans var. fastigata. The species is native to south-eastern Australia, particularly central and eastern Victoria and Tasmania, where it forms vast forests in cool, damp areas of low to mid-mountain zones, on deep, moist soils.

It is an evergreen tree with a very long lifespan, which can exceed 70 to 90m in height in the wild, or even around a hundred metres for the largest specimens. In our oceanic latitudes, one can expect 25 to 30m under very favourable conditions. The bark of the straight trunk is fibrous and brown over the first few metres, then becomes smooth and light grey, almost white, towards the top. The habit, distinctly conical in young trees, remains fairly narrow before broadening in very old specimens. The leaves are simple, entire, lanceolate to sickle-shaped, often measuring 10 to 20cm long and 2 to 5cm wide, green to grey-green, sometimes slightly more glaucous. The juvenile leaves are broader, softer and a duller green. It flowers in late spring or early summer with small white, petal-less flowers with numerous stamens, grouped in clusters of 9 to 15 in nectar-rich umbels. These develop into woody capsules a few millimetres across, which open by valves to release a multitude of very fine seeds, dispersed by the wind.
Growth is particularly rapid in young trees: in natural or commercial stands, average growth rates of 1 to 2m per year have been recorded, with trees reaching 15m in 8 years and over 30m in around twenty years, in suitable climates. In Europe, one can hope for a well-formed young tree after 8 to 10 years, but experimental data are lacking. There is no statistical track record as there is for Eucalyptus gunnii or E. niphophila. The hardiness of this species is moderate: –4 to –5 °C for a mature specimen.

The giant gum is only suitable for large gardens, private parks or estates located in a humid oceanic climate sheltered from severe frosts. It should be planted as a standalone specimen on a vast lawn, where its straight trunk and conical silhouette stand out against the sky. Its need for light rules out planting in dense groups: it requires plenty of space around it.

In its natural range, Eucalyptus regnans is a major species in Australian forestry, widely exploited for its construction and paper-making wood. It is also an emblematic species of the great damp forests of Tasmania, which harbour remarkable biodiversity and rank among the most carbon-rich forests on the planet. The species regenerates naturally mainly from seed after fires, unlike many other eucalypts which regrow from the stump.