Corymbia citriodora "Lemon Scented Gum"-Therapeutic and Herbal-seeds

Note: seed packet contains some husk to support germination.

“Corymbia citriodora is a tall smooth-barked gum with strongly lemon-scented leaves.

Corymbia citriodora grows on undulating country in open forests and woodlands, on dry ridges and plateaux of coastal sub-tropical Queensland. It is also naturalised further inland in Queensland, as well as in Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria.

Its elegant form is an attractive feature of the Lemon-scented Gum and it has been described as one of Australia’s most beautiful trees and "reliably vertical". It grows to over 40 m in its native habitat, but typically 20 to 30 m under cultivation. It is tolerant of a range of soils but grows best on sandy loam or well-drained gravels.

The Lemon-scented Gum’s juvenile leaves have wavy margins and a sand-papery surface. They are arranged in an opposite formation, whereas the adult leaves are smooth, narrow, and long and are alternately arranged. Both forms have a strong citronella smell when touched. It is this heady aroma that excites many gardeners and tree-lovers.

Buds usually form within 2 years and flowering follows from mid-winter into spring, flowers having white filaments and cream anthers. Its gum nuts are urn-shaped and its seed is reddish black and glossy.

It has bark that is smooth, and can range in colour from white, pink, coppery, red to blue-grey. It sheds bark in thin curly flakes in spring. It has a symmetrical spreading canopy of sparse foliage and ideally requires space to take full advantage of its beautiful form. The possibility of "branch-drop" needs to be considered in its positioning. Conversely, it responds well to regular pruning to retain the lemon-rich juvenile foliage at an accessible height. In this way you can maintain it as a bush, hedge or standard.

Due to its straight growth Corymbia citriodora forms a strong structural timber that is used for beams, bridges, poles, containers, flooring and tool-handles. Its flowers are important for honey production. Its volatile oil is an important commodity for cosmetics, med1c1nes, and insect repellents. It is popular in horticulture as an ornamental tree and in revegetation projects. It is also planted in cultivation in many countries overseas. With these multiple uses it is therefore valuable as a farm – forestry option in areas suited to its preferred growth requirements” from text by Patricia Nagle 2016 (ANBG) retrieved 7 Sep 2019.

Photo of plant: Bidgee, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons; retrieved 20 May 2024 –4.24pm AEST and edited using Canva.

Photo of seeds: - June Parkin; Location: Sydney NSW, Australia; Date: 6OCT2023 

***Please note: These are seeds only - not live plants, . Quarantine restrictions and inspection fees prohibit us from selling seeds to Western Australia, Tasmania, and Internationally.