Hi, Eucalyptus gunnii, is borderline completely hardy, I grew 1 for several years until I got fed up with it, they grow very fast, and as they get larger, lose the nice juvenile foliage, which is replaced with long, narrow, plain green foliage, I don't particularly like the mature foliage, so kept mine pruned back every year, so that it kept the juvenile, metallic blue colour, you should have no problem with the winter weather where you are, Derek.

I have several, all hardy, grows like there is no tomorrow, here.

Here in Yorkshire I let mine grow into a tree but it soon became too large so decided to pollard it last year,this year it was back with a vengeance and grew another 10ft thus it has been recently topped again.So I'd say you shouldn't have any problems Derek..

Thank you all i will go ahead and buy one,i will keep it well pruned now i know what to expect so i can keep the metallic blue colour.

Hardy yes, but remember, they do get to around 55 feet pretty quickly - growth rate in one year is around 8 feet or more, so you will need to keep it well pruned back every year, maybe twice a year. You can grow it as a shrub - you do this by taking it down to the ground in early March every year. You have a gap in the border for a while, but within 3 months, there'll be bluey grey growth on several stems around 4 feet high and by the end of the season, 6-8 feet high. Ready for next year's cutting down...

Alternatively, you can keep it as a small tree, but keep the trunk short - these trees have strong apical domination (which means one shoot will reach for the sky, well above all the others) and you need to restrain that by cutting it back every couple of months during the growing season - not easy if the main trunk is 6 feet and the topgrowth is at 15 feet, means a ladder every time. And if you're anything like everyone else, you won't get round to it quickly enough, and before you know it, the tree's 25 feet and counting...

Hi Loli, I don't have a problem with E gunnii, I don't have 1, I used to have, which is what I said to Nite, who was asking about the hardiness or otherwise of this plant, Derek.

Ooops apologies Derek,I got my Dereks and Nites mixed up..

Loli..

Hi Loli, no problem, Derek.

Our E gunnii grew to about 80 foot then in the hard winter of 2012 it just died, but it started to shoot again of the base, lovely veiw from the top as i was cutting it down

Hardy and Quick growing this Eucalyptus is the most common in the UK.
Try growing it in a large pot. Pinch out the growing tip(s) to retain shape and juvinile leaves.

Sorry to say that this plant is not suitable for pots other than for about 18 months - it puts down very deep roots, and it can't do that in a pot, so they just sort of look sad and miserable after 2 years in a container.