Eucalyptus Tereticornis, Forest Red Gum - 0.5 kg Seeds

Forest Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis) is among the most widely planted and hardiest eucalypts in India, a tall evergreen with smooth, mottled grey-white bark and a straight, clean bole. It is the parent of the famous "Mysore gum" hybrids and yields hard, heavy, durable wood used for poles, posts, construction, tool handles, fuelwood and pulp.

Extremely adaptable, it thrives across the plains and dry tracts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana, tolerating poor soils, seasonal flooding and drought once established. It is a mainstay of farm forestry, avenue and bund planting, and its nectar-rich flowers make it a valued honey tree.

• Family: Myrtaceae
• Native region: eastern Australia
• Mature height: 25–40 m
• Growth rate: very fast

Seed is tiny and requires no pre-treatment; mix it with dry sand and surface-sow on a sterile, well-drained nursery mix, covering only lightly because light promotes germination. Keep evenly moist under part shade; seedlings appear in about 7–14 days in warm weather. Prick out into polybags or root-trainers once a few true leaves form and harden off before monsoon planting.