On saline flats and wind-raked paddocks near the coast, Coastal Moort does work most eucalypts cannot. It grows as a dense mallee or low-branching small tree and holds glossy foliage right down to ground level, which is what makes it a genuine stock windbreak and solid visual screen rather than just another shade tree.It was long treated as a subspecies of Eucalyptus platypus, the Moort, and the two are still muddled in the trade. Flowers are creamy yellow to greenish, clustered against the leaves, with distinctive woody caps and fruit. Salt and wind tolerance are its strengths, and it handles exposed, alkaline and moderately saline ground in southern Western Australia as well as comparable country in SA and western Victoria.Plant into open ground in full sun, water through the first summer, then leave it alone. It resents shade and crowding from faster neighbours, so give each plant room in a shelterbelt row rather than packing them tight.Choosing a sizeThis plant is available in 2 sizes, from 140mm up to 5L, priced from $16.95 to $29.95 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. These are younger plants, priced for planting in quantity, and they establish quickly once in the ground. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to Australian native trees for shade.
