EUCALYPTUS dolichorhyncha

A spectacular West Australian Eucalypt with an exceptional ornamental value that is easily distinguished by its large four-sided winged buds bright red in colour. The horn-capped pendulous buds are grouped together over a long period before opening to the mass of yellow flowers.
A small mallee or bushy tree often only grows 1-3m but can reach 5m. 

Formally a subspecies of Eucalyptus forrestiana, E. dolichorhyncha can be distinguished by its beaked operculum, shorter pedicels, and smaller buds and fruits.
Endemic to a small range around Esperance in Western Australia.

Conservation code: Priority 4: Rare, Near Threatened and other species in need of monitoring.

Prefers light gravelly well-drained soil in an open sunny position, drought and frost resistant.

Grow notes:

Eucalypts 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. Seeds 1 to 2 mm in diameter can be covered very lightly and seeds from 2 mm up can be sown to a depth of the seed width.

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 18-22°C

1. Sow seed on the surface of a porous seed-raising mix and cover to a depth of 1-2 mm. Do not bury the seed deeply.
2. Water with a fine mist spray to avoid disturbance of the seed.
3. Place in a warm shaded or semi-shaded position to avoid dying out.
4. Keep warm & moist, and avoid drying out or waterlogging the growing mix.
5. Germination generally occurs in around 10-28 days in the right condition.

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.