Stock status
Seed is scarce, and currently I don’t have any, or stock Get in touch to discuss alternatives.
General characteristics:
| Hardy: | Very to -16°C |
| Soil: | Very versatile, happy in a wide range of PH and moisture content, poor rocky sand and thick clay. |
| Growth: | Fast, up to 1.5m per year |
| Height: | Not particularly tall for a Eucalyptus, generally around 20m at maturity in ideal conditions. |
| Biomass: | Grown commercially as biomass coppice, also good as domestic firewood logs. |
| Flowering: | December to March in the Southern Hemisphere, I’ll update when I have good information for Ireland. |
Common names
Also known as; Swamp Peppermint
Eucalyptus Rodwayi is great for drying up boggy ground, and because of its hardiness is an ideal Eucalyptus for Ireland; it’s currently on the list for which grant aid is available. Dept of Agriculture Forest Service
The common name for Rodwayi is Swamp Peppermint. The peppermint may be a bit misleading, though perhaps this is just my sense of smell.
The swamp bit is entirely accurate, I research extensively before writing copy. Often there is a lot of conflicting information, though one thing is consistent about Rodwayi, and that is that it will thrive in boggy ground and more often than not reclaim it and make it useable in a natural way.
Hey and you will get a load of free firewood as well. Compare that to digging drains 😉
If you have:
- Boggy wet ground
- Land with poor quality soils
- Land that has become unstable
then Swamp Peppermint with low nutrient requirements , a sprawling root system may be the variety for you.
Eucalyptus Rodwayi also makes for good shelter belt as well as being a good choice for land reclamation and improvement.
Looks like there are limits, though this would be the same for any variety of Eucalyptus or tree species excluding mangroves. If I’ve missed one let me know.
Anyways quite a few dead trees in the photo below by Natalie Tapson, though they are those that have been drowned. Plenty of health ones that have had their feet in the water for prolonged periods by the looks of it.
Eucalyptus Rodwayi is an attractive tree in its own right with deep red branches. Another great climbing frame, so many Eucalyptus are.
Photo by Nuytsia
Rodwayi is native to Tasmania, though not generally on the coast, and I won’t make any specific claims about salt tolerance. What I would say is that those I have here in West Clare stand up to the wild weather about ten kilometres in from the Shanon with ease. They are all still young trees, though this makes me even more certain of their hardiness. Most Eucalyptus and trees in general become more hardy with age.
I’m a newcomer to rural Ireland and I was quite distressed at seeing the cattle struggling for relief from the hot summer sun of 2016 and particularly 2018. Many of the farmers around seem to have Dendrophobia 🙄 they need help ! and it is to hand with Eucalyptus Rodwayi 😉 which is livestock friendly and gives protection in the form of shade on hot sunny days.
More information at EUCLID