EUCALYPTUS alpina

An attractive bushy mallee shrub with dense foliage to 4 metres that produces white flowers that occur from April to November.
Native to the Grampians in Victoria, the bark on the lower trunk or stems are typically flaky and smooth above.

A good-sized hardy species, well suited to harsh windy conditions making it ideal for use as a windbreak of garden specimen.
Prefers a light to medium moist soil in an open sunny position, frost and snow resistant.

Note: Recently re-name as Eucalyptus serraensis this small tree is endemic to the Grampians in Victoria, Australia. The species was formally known as Eucalyptus alpine which is still a commonly used name today.

Grow notes:

Eucalypt's germinate readily from seed and are generally considered one of the easiest natives to grow from seed.

Depending on the species Eucalyptus seed comes in various sizes from very fine to several millimetres long.
As a rule of thumb seed that is fine should be sown on the surface of a porous mix and not buried. Seed 1 to 2 mm in diameter can be covered very lightly and seed from 2 mm up can be sown to a depth of the seed width.

Cold stratification of 28 days is recommended for this Eucalypt. Cold treatment is not critical for germination to occur but should give increased germination rates.

This is cool mountain species of Eucalypt that in its native range has a cold winter prior to germinating in spring. This can be replicated by cold stratification in the refrigerator for 28 days. Alternatively over wintering in the garden in cold climates will assist germination.

Although seed can be sown most of the year in many parts of Australia seed is generally best sown in spring or autumn in temperate climates, avoid the coldest and hottest months of the year. The optimum germination temperature for germination is around 16-22°C

1. Sow seed on surface of a porous seed raising mix. The seed will lodge in the the pores of the mix once watered.
2. Sprinkle a very light covering of the seed raising mix over the seed if required to hold the seed in place. Do not bury seed deeply.
3. Water with fine mist spray to avoid disturbance of the seed.
4. Ensure the mix is moist but not water logged.
5. Place the container in plastic bag.
6. Place the bagged container in the refrigerator for 28 days.
7. Germination generally occurs in 10-28 days when moved to warmer temperatures after the period of cold treatment.

General note: Seeds of many natives are dormant and require specific conditions or pre-treatment for germination.
Do not be too hasty to discard seed that does not germinate, seeds will often lay dormant until the conditions are similar to their natural requirements for germination to occur. Containers put to one side will often surprise long after they were discarded.