"I hope we can still get that cool rainbow look but I'm really just happy I'm getting any growth at all right now." Not in Virginia Beach but it's impressive, surprising even, that it managed to return from the roots. Where did your gift giver get it - or did you ask? I think they are pretty rare in commerce. "We have a lot of crepe mertles here that people cut back and the tree regrows its branches back, would a eucalyptus do the same?" It would but it's a bad idea, especially for crape myrtle. Google "crape murder" - I believe there used to be a website.

I think it is either E. cinerea of the closely related E. pulverulenta. The bronzish smooth bark and low, crooked branches suggest E. pulverulenta to me. Unfortunately the leaves and capsules of these two species are almost identical (the capsules being sessile, broad-rimmed and virtually the same size in both cases). However, E. cinerea will grow into a decent-sized tree with rough, fibrous bark on the lower trunk. E. pulverulenta will remain a large, sprawling shrub.

Hey, if you're interested, I'd be VERY interested in trading you for some of those silver dollar eucalyptus cuttings (assuming that they have roots). I have some leonotis leonurus seedlings I can send in exchange, and a lot of other tropicals on my trade page. Shoot me an e-mail. someguy00273952@yahoo.com

Yes: Single digits is when you start to see the men separated from the boys. I've had multiple species including E. glaucescens effectively destroyed after only a short time on Camano Island - and I'm not talking about starting with this past winter, which also burned up multiple other kinds of plants that would not have been hurt in much of Seattle and vicinity. Gums also vary rather widely in hardiness even between related seedlings. So, an example of a species freezing down may not show that another example would not persist on the same site. Except on Camano they've all failed or been hurt at this point. The upper part of high altitude origin E. gunnii snapped off in the heavy snow we had last(?) winter, then this winter the leaves scorched. I can take a hint.