I don't think you will be all that successful growing Eucalyptus ficifolia in Florida, as it comes from southwest Australia, where the conditions are mediterranean in climate rather than subtropical or temperate. This tree is not well adapted to areas with hot humid summers and hot nights, nor does it take much freezing temperatures should you happen to live in northern or central Florida. This species is really only happy here in California within a narrow band of coastal strip where the conditions allow it to grow. It isn't grown in inland California where it freezes or gets too hot. If you really want to grow this, I'd suggest trying it from seed, as it isn't a tree that is commonly offered by any nurseries that I know of as a 1 gallon sized plant, but most often is only available as a 5 or 15 gallon sized tree.

About the only t hing I could locate online is that "Propagation of eucalyptus is by seed, using ripe seed capsules taken off trees." I suspect they may need to be sown fresh. And not cold stratified.

Go for it! I suspect the grafted plant you get, in all those colours you describe will actually be a hybrid between C.ficifolia and Corymbia ptychocarpa or something else - but that's what you want, really. The hybrids have names like "Summertime Red". They vary a bit in size and shape. Check the labels. My "Summertime Red" fills about 4m. It took about ten years to get there, though. You might like to plant a group of 3 in the centre of your space. They will shape themselves around each other and look like a single multi-trunked tree, but fill the space quicker. There's no reason why it should break off at the graft unless you neglect it and let shoots grow from below. Never let anything come from below the graft of anything at all that's grafted! Trish

Thanks for the replies. It seems eucalyptus grafting is more hush hush than fight club. Looks like we'll be going with a grafted C. ficifolia but I have started growing a few E. deglupta and E. gregsoniana from seed just from curiosity. Out of 100 seeds, I have four deglupta seedlings coming along and 60 out of 100 gregsoniana shooting up. I understand Sydney and Melbourne botanical garden's troubles. I'll have to check out the Alloxylon flammeum. Sounds familiar.