Believe it or not, there is a way to grow Eucalyptus plant indoors: in fact, not only it is possible to have an indoor Eucalyptus plant, but there is actually plenty of reasons to grow Eucalyptus leaves in the comfort of your own home. That’s because not all Eucalyptus plants are towering trees with a koala gnawing on them. Growing Eucalyptus indoors can be easy if you just choose the right size Eucalyptus plant.
This article will not only inform you about Eucalyptus plants in general but why you may want to consider planting Eucalyptus and how to grow Eucalyptus indoors.
What Does the Eucalyptus Plant Look Like?
When people think of a Eucalyptus plant, what they see is most often the Eucalyptus Gunnii, tall and native to Australia.
The color of its bark foliage is often a shiny blue-gray, but if you peel off the bark, you’ll find patches with a yellow color. If you cut the tree, you’ll get some resin, oozing throughout the plant. For this reason, many people call it a gum tree.
Because of its hardy survival nature and vast growth speed, the Eucalyptus trees are one of the most heavily planted trees in the world.
That said, there are over 800 breeds of Eucalyptus species: trees and shrubs, which leads us to our next point regarding how you can have a potted Eucalyptus plant indoors.
Can You Really Have Indoor Eucalyptus Trees?
Thanks to the most common type of Eucalyptus plant, the aforementioned 60 foot tall tree occasionally referred to as cider gum, people are often under the mistaken impression that it is impossible to have anything like a potted Eucalyptus plant or a Eucalyptus houseplant in general.
But believe it or not, there are in fact ways to go about planting Eucalyptus trees indoors. It’s just a matter of choosing the right breed. And the best part is, there are actually several breeds that will let you grow Eucalyptus indoors.
Great Types of Eucalyptus That Can Be Grown Indoors
Eucalyptus Archeri
This dwarf breed makes an excellent Eucalyptus plant indoors. It’s not a small tree, but rather a very bushy house plant with plenty of branches and Eucalyptus leaves.
You can easily prune those leaves to be a certain shape if you wish, making these potted Eucalyptus plants an excellent addition to any garden since they have a clean trunk and a bushy head of leaves, a combination that is generally seen as aesthetically pleasing.
Of course, even though someone who plants Eucalyptus could use this breed indoors, it can still grow anywhere from three to seven meters tall, so it has to be maintained properly. Another breed, Eucalyptus Gregsoniana, is similar to Archeri but it has whitish branches and leaves.
Eucalyptus Pulverulenta
Where does Eucalyptus grow when you don’t have a seven-meter tall ceiling? With the right breed, such as Pulverulenta, it can be anywhere. It’s sometimes referred to as Baby Blue, and with a little bit of potting soil and the right Eucalyptus seeds, it’s a simple matter to plant Eucalyptus in your house, even with low ceilings.
This breed doesn’t grow nearly as tall as others, so it is easy to make sure it stays within the confines of whatever room you plant it in.
Eucalyptus Silver Dollar
Another great choice for indoor Eucalyptus leaves is the Silver Dollar variety. It’s small, like the Pulverulenta, but most notably, when the leaves are young they are small and around, hence the name. The leaves get longer and more blade-like as they mature, but you can easily trim them to stay the shape you desire if need be.
Other Types of Eucalyptus Plants
The Argyle apple, scientifically known as Eucalyptus cinerea, boasts a delightful scent and is characterized by its silvery, round- or egg-shaped leaves that grow in pairs. These leaves are often dried and packaged in bunches for sale.
In the United States, the Eucalyptus Neglecta ‘Big O’ variety has been gaining traction due to its ability to withstand cold temperatures. Its youthful foliage displays a captivating blue hue with striking red accents while retaining the distinct fragrance associated with eucalyptus.
Why Should You Plant Eucalyptus Indoor?
So now you know that you can plant Eucalyptus indoors. But why should you? Well, these plants actually have many benefits, especially when all you have to do is set them up in a container or some potting soil in your home and give them water every once in a while.
Most notable is probably the Eucalyptus oil you can get from Eucalyptus leaves.
These essential oils can be used to soothe a variety of ailments, like coughs and colds, and they smell nice. You can even Eucalyptus essential oil as an insect repellent, as the Eucalyptus leaves that smell so aromatic to humans are putrid to bugs. It’s especially good at repelling mosquitoes.
The usefulness of Eucalyptus essential oil and even the physical leaves themselves goes further, however.
Dried leaves can be used for herbal tea, or just gargled with hot water to soothe sore throats. A few leaves or essential oil in the bathtub also makes for an excellent form of stress relief after a long day at work.
The leaves themselves even help improve airflow in the body when you breathe in the tannins they release, and you can use the leaves topically by rubbing them on insect bites and cuts for relief. All in all, there are plenty of reasons to plant Eucalyptus trees indoors.
Growing Eucalyptus in Pots Indoors
Growing Eucalyptus from Seed
That’s it for the what and the why, but what about the how? Well, thankfully it’s about as easy as growing most plants. All you need is the right seeds, which you can buy from a garden shop or trustworthy online retailer. Just make sure you’re using healthy seeds, which should be light or dark brown. Any other color is definitely not something you want.
About the size of a mustard seed, growing them is fairly straightforward.
Prepare the container of your choice, whether that be a pot or garden, and fill it with the potting soil of your choice. Sprinkle the seeds on top, and cover them with a small amount of soil.
The seeds need to be covered, but not buried too deep in the ground. Of course, you’ll have to water the arrangement properly, but if you want to make that process a little easier, you can put a plastic wrap around the container in-between bouts of water. This will help keep moisture in the soil and help the seeds germinate properly.
Once all of this is done, and with proper Eucalyptus plant care from then on, you should see seedlings as early as a month, and depending on the breed, they’ll be a 15 to 20-inch Eucalyptus tree in just half a year. But while they are growing, the stems are pretty fragile, so you must make sure you are careful with them to avoid breakages.
Eucalyptus Indoor Cloning
If you don’t want to grow your plant from seeds, you can also ‘clone’ an existing Eucalyptus tree.
Of course, in order to do this, you have to possess such a plant, to begin with, but this is still a good way to get multiple plants from just one. It’s a process called root cutting, in which you cut root stems and plant them in a different container, which will allow a new plant to grow from those stems.
To do this, the tree you are cutting needs to be roughly half a year old, and it should be grown in the current season. The cut needs to be clean, and it needs to be five or six inches long.
It should have some leaves on it too. The clean cut will make sure the stem doesn’t get infected, and pruning shears will help you make it.
The cut should be just below a leaf node, and it needs to be kept moist, so putting it in a bucket of water is a good idea. Then again, a moist paper towel can be wrapped around it as well.
After all of this, remove the leaves from the bottom of the stem, and apply a rooting hormone to the stem and a slow-release fertilizer into the soil. It needs to be mixed so the soil is not dry in the least. After all of that is done, put the stem and the soil in a clear plastic bag and put it in a sunny area.
With regular watering to keep it moist, the stem will soon start forming roots, and it will be ready to be placed in a garden or a pot to grow like a normal tree, with branches, leaves, and all.
Possible Side Effects of Eucalyptus
If you are planting Eucalyptus in your home, it’s primarily for the leaves and their aromatic fragrance and nice color.
If you are doing that, then there isn’t much to worry about in regard to side effects.
However, if you plan on using Eucalyptus and its leaves for medicinal purposes, there is some concern regarding overuse.
The leaves of Eucalyptus plants are not poisonous, but like many things that are good in moderation, overuse can make them mildly harmful.
Overusing the leaves of Eucalyptus, at least as far as consuming them in some way is concerned, could result in unpleasant symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
However, that is only a problem when consuming a Eucalyptus leaf. Just having them in the house or garden is no danger at all, as there is no way to ‘overdose’ on their presence in the air. If you have pets, it could be bad for them to eat too many of the leaves, just like a human, but normal pets don’t tend to chew on the leaves or the bark of Eucalyptus too often, and you can always take measures to keep the Eucalyptus away from the pets.
Finally, if you are using essential oils, be very careful about using them in large doses, as they are more concentrated and will bring on stronger symptoms if you intake too much.
How Long Does Eucalyptus Last?
If we’re talking about the lifetime of the entire Eucalyptus shrub or tree, then it can last many years so long as you take good care of it. But if you are pruning the leaves or stems and putting them in a vase, those may only last a few days to a few weeks, depending on how well they are watered and if you give them the plant food they need.
If you are pruning, taking stems from a younger Eucalyptus tree will ensure they last longer than if you prune the stems from an older one. If you want to make the pruned stems last even longer, you should also keep them away from direct sunlight and really dry areas, as the faster the stems dry out, the more quickly they will die.
Of course, no matter how well you take care of the plants, they will eventually grow old, but throughout their lifespan, they stay a very pretty color, so their aesthetic value remains consistent regardless of how you are keeping them around.
Where to Buy Eucalyptus Plant
Buying Eucalyptus doesn’t have to be a troublesome process, though depending on how you go about it, they can be a little difficult to find locally.
Whether or not you can find Eucalyptus in a local store depends on the place you live and the season. Moreover, you may not be able to find the specific breed you want if you are shopping locally.
That said, you can always find what you are looking for online. If you want a specific breed of Eucalyptus you can find it somewhere online, and have them delivered straight to you, which makes things pretty convenient.
Of course, this method of acquisition may be slightly more expensive, but that’s the price of convenience.
Conclusion
Eucalyptus plants can be grown indoors, and they have many health benefits that make them a valid reason to do so.
There are several breeds you can grow inside and taking care of them is fairly simple and straightforward.
Eucalyptus is perfect for the garden, and can even repel insects. You can also clone them from the stems pretty easily. If you need to get your hands on Eucalyptus, there’s no issue in finding them online, though you could also find the right seeds for your Eucalyptus breed at a local store.
In short, there’s really no reason to forego planting Eucalyptus plants in your home.
