How to Grow a Eucalyptus Tree Indoors

These eye-catching trees bring an instant spa-like feel to your home, and of course they smell amazing. Here’s how to grow a eucalyptus tree indoors.

I get so many compliments on this eucalyptus tree in my bathroom and quite a few requests to know where I purchased it as well. Chris actually found it for me at a local garden center and thought it looked like something I would like and it turned out to be such an amazing addition to my decor. I love the personality and soft color it brings to my home. I think it would look just right in a modern planter, but I especially love how it looks in this unexpectedly traditional footed terracotta pot. If you’ve ever thought about growing eucalyptus indoors, there are definitely a few things you need to know before you get started. Here’s how to grow a eucalyptus tree indoors.

What is a Eucalyptus Tree?

Pictured Above: Tub Filler | Market Basket | Shower Curtain (color is “thyme”, use CREEKLINEHOUSE for 24% off) | Beveled Subway Tile | Marble Mosaic Tile Trim

Eucalyptus is a fast-growing native of Australia, known for its soothing fragrance and silvery green color. You’re probably most familiar with seeing eucalyptus in floral arrangements at the flower shop, but in the wild it grows as a tree, and it can be grown indoors if you have the right conditions available.

My current favorite houseplant: How to Grow and Care for Hoya Plants

Eucalyptus Light Requirements

One of the reasons that eucalyptus have a reputation for being notoriously difficult to grow is that they need a ton of light. Most indoor environments don’t have nearly enough light for them, and something like a conservatory or right next to a floor-to-ceiling window is really the best location. A south-facing window is ideal, if you have one available. Our bathroom window is south-facing, and I’m very glad we made the choice to replace it with a much larger window when we renovated this space, so this room gets quite a bit of sunlight.

If your home is light-deprived, moving your eucalyptus outdoors during the summer months can help it get a good top-up of bright sunlight. When you move it back indoors for the winter, keep it in the sunniest window that you have available, even if the conditions aren’t completely perfect.

More beautiful foliage for your home: How to Propagate Ivy Plants

Watering and Feeding a Eucalyptus Plant

Pictured Above: Tub Filler | Market Basket | Shower Curtain (color is “thyme”, use CREEKLINEHOUSE for 24% off) | Beveled Subway Tile | Marble Mosaic Tile Trim

Eucalyptus trees require a little more watering than most of my houseplants. As a rule, eucalyptus plants in containers like to be watered once the top 1/3 of the soil is dry, which can change depending on the conditions in your house and make your watering schedule a little finicky. In my home, I just give my tree water twice a week, rather than once a week like most of my other plants. I should note that while I normally give most of my indoor plants just a little drizzle of water, when it comes time to water my eucalyptus, I give it a lot more. Usually about a full quart, which is the full volume of my little indoor watering can.

Since eucalyptus is a fast-growing plant, they do like to be fed regularly when they’re indoors in a pot. Feed your eucalyptus with a balanced plant food about once a month to keep it happy, fed, and growing.

Read next: How to Care for Fresh Cut Eucalyptus

Other Eucalyptus Care Tips

Eucalyptus trees are a fast-growing species when they’re healthy and happy. There are some smaller, slower growing varieties, but even the smallest eucalyptus tree will reach a mature height of five metres tall in the wild, so pruning is necessary to keep growth in check, as well as to help shape your eucalyptus plant and encourage fullness.

One neat thing about eucalyptus plants is that they’re very easy to root, so you can take cuttings from your eucalyptus tree and propagate new plants to share with your friends quite easily. It’s important to note that a eucalyptus tree enjoys a large pot, which helps it retain moisture, but doesn’t like to be transplanted very often, so when you start your seedlings, it’s best to start them in a larger pot than what you would usually use for most houseplants. That way you won’t have to transplant them to a larger pot quite as often.

Did you enjoy this post? Join my free email newsletter for more home ideas delivered straight to your inbox.