Acer next to eucalyptus…,

[guessagain]

In our garden, I have our red acer tree (approx just under a metre height) next to a relatively young eucalyptus plant (about 2 ft approx) been planted together since around Aug last year. We had the acer first around 2 years ago iirc, it was in a pot to begin with then we planted it. It seemed to bloom quite well. But I noticed it hasn’t done well at all, this spring the leaves that have ‘come back’ are really weepy, shrivelled looking, just not great, I know the weather has been cold of late.

I just had a suspicion that maybe the eucalyptus tree was hindering its growth, so I’ve took it out & planted it elsewhere. I did a quick google but get conflicting answers.

I’m looking to fill the garden with some more plants when the weather improves. So far I’ve a couple of hostess in there, but I fear I’ve cut them back too far! I want to get some big statement plants in, hardy ones. Any ideas? I’ve seen a ‘spiders web’ that I quite like the look of. And maybe some ferns, plants with big foliage, but won’t hurt the acer!

I wouldn’t plant a eucalyptus next to an Acer, or in the ground unless you have a large garden. They grow very fast and tall, over the past couple of years I’ve had two cut down. They were manageable until lockdown and then grew very big.
I like the leaves so I’ve now planted two in pots one is a dwarf variety, the other I shall cut for the leaves.

Oh really? I’ve got one at the back of the garden ( I believe they are eucalyptus gunnii type ones) which has flourished, got that from a garden centre & the one that was next to the acer which isn’t so big (and doesn’t seem to of got much bigger) was from Costco.

I’m just hoping that the acer will grow better now, i got it from Costco (again!) perhaps they aren’t the best place to buy plants from! DH said not to prune the new leaves off but they really do look sorry. I’ll see what they look like when the weather improves. I don’t know a great deal about plants & their names but have really got into my gardening over last year or so & have a vision of what I’d like it to look like!

I have a dwarf eucalyptus (2-3m full height) but it was difficult to find suppliers so I suspect yours is a big standard eucalyptus which is enormous. I don't think I'd put it together with an acer but more because a eucalyptus takes sun and an acer needs shade. I know from growing cut flowers that a lot of growers cut eucalyptus down to the ground yearly and it bushes out for the year so they have a regular supply of foliage.

I bought a 3 ft eucalyptus about 6 years ago & put it in a raised bed. It's now about massive & will need cut down. Love it though it doesn't leave much for anything else to grow. Phormiums either side & they're massive too

I believe that people often coppice Eucalyptus to maintain the juvenile type foliage