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Eucalyptus x torwood (Torwood Gum) - A fast growing small tree to 20 to 25 feet tall with smooth gray bark that can have seasonal tinges of orange, as do the stems which hold the 3 to 5 inch long by 1/2- to 1-inch-wide dull green leaves that are aromatic when crushed. The flowers, held in clusters of 3 to 7, are showy and generally appear in midsummer with a scattered flowering at other times. They have a large decoratively ribbed basal hypanthium holding pink and sometimes yellow stamens that push off a long beaked operculum cap to display the inch and a quarter wide flower.
Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil light to medium soil and irrigated occasionally to infrequently. This is a "drought tolerant" tree that is also fairly frost resistant with reports of it also tolerating near beachside conditions with some protection from direct exposure. This tree is relatively rare in California, but it should be grown here as a quick growing small to medium sized gum tree with attractive flowering display that is suitable to our summer dry climate.
Eucalyptus x torwood is a naturally occurring spontaneous seedling hybrid that occurred in Western Australia between Coral Gum, Eucalyptus torquata and Lemon Gum, Eucalyptus woodwardii. Though the two species do not naturally occur together, both were planted in a schoolyard in North Kalgoorlie in Western Australia in the 1970s and it was here that this hybridization first occurred. It has since become a popular plant in warm and semi-arid locations with flowers looking a bit more like Eucalyptus torquata but gaining flower size from Eucalyptus woodwardia. Australian plant breeder and horticulturalist Angus Stuart notes that: "Eucalyptus 'Torwood' [is] one of my all time favourite gum trees." Our thanks go out to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo botanist Dr. Matt Ritter for encouraging us to grow this tree and providing us seedlings that were grown at the campus nursery.
This information about Eucalyptus x torwood displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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