Eucalyptus pulverulenta ‘Baby Blue’

While many eucalyptus have similar juvenile leaves, this tree keeps its attractive, glaucous blue leaves into maturity. A waxy coating on leaves helps them hold onto moisture, making them a long last cut foliage favorite. Leaves also have a high menthol fragrance.

Wide, erratic branching pattern makes for interesting mature specimens. Prune early to develop the desired structure. Alternate pruning a branch in one direction and then in the next to create a zig zag pattern in the branches. This plant can also be forced into a more treelike (though wide) form by pruning up the lower branches early on and then thinning out the interior of the plant once mature.

While this shrub will survive some shade its dusty silver leaves are most dramatic in the sun.

Creamy white flowers in fall and spring.

Since this plant has a lignotuber (swollen underground root) it is likely to regrow from even more extreme cold than noted here (in the sunset zones and hardiness.) Typically plants with lignotubers will also regrow from devastating fire damage.

The species name pulverulenta is a throwback to the Latin 'pulveratus' meaning 'powdered' and referring to the dusted leaves of this plant.