Silver Princess

Silver Princess, showing buds, flowers and gumnuts

Eucalyptus caesia is a small gum tree from granite outcrops in Western Australia. Of all the mallees it is perhaps the most beautiful. It has been difficult to grow in the heavier soils of the eastern states, but thanks to grafting it is becoming more and more popular. My trees are from forestry tube stock, but I planted them in a raised bed, built of light sandy soil on top of a granite rock wall.

Here they are as babies in their plastic wind shelters. Of the three tubes one plant was very vigorous, another died and the third one grew slowly. I replaced the dead tree with a plant from the local nursery. I had to fence them so the wallabies did not eat every leaf, and break the tender trunks in half! Top thumbnail shows kangaroos, and the other shows two wallabies, a delicate red-necked wallaby and a much more tree-devastating black swamp wallaby.

At about twelve months the biggest tree developed a white coating on the trunk, and I was worried …. oh no … what was wrong now?Later I realised that it is the natural sunscreen the Silver Princess uses to protect its branches in the hot western deserts.

Ian White, who makes flower essences using australian native flowers, says that the essence helps us to find our direction in life, helps us to focus and refocus, to find and remain true to our life purpose. What joy and satisfaction to know we are doing what is just right for us!

well-grown trees with paper daisies march 2010

Now the three year old tree is covered in blossom, with heavy silver bells from previous flowers, and rose/green buds swelling with new flowers to come. Both the other trees have buds, and the birds, bees and butterflies have discovered a rich new source of nectar.

first flowers may 2010

We were so excited to see the flowers appear just two years after the seedlings were planted.

Silver Princess with Eastern Spinebill

Now the birds come in noisy flocks, drinking nectar and hunting insects.

butterfly drinking from gum blossom

beautiful heart-opening Silver Princess