Large trees to 45 m or more tall (70 m in nature). Bark usually smooth, white, yellow or grey-brown, with a sock of unpeeled bark at the base. Juvenile leaves opposite, stalkless, stem-clasping, ovate, grey-green or waxy-white. Adult leaves lanceolate to narrow-lanceolate, sometimes sickle-shaped, green, more or less glossy. Flowers creamy white, solitary or in groups of 3 or 7, common stalk flattened or cylindrical, individual stalks present or absent; Sept-Dec. Fruits warty, often glaucous and with large caps.

Recent research has centred on trees that will grow tall, thick and fast, providing more pulpwood for the paper industry. Research by Conservation and Land Management (CALM) in WA has produced the Western Blue Gum. Strong performers are cross-pollinated to select better plants and, as root establishment from tissue culture is poor, vegetative propagation is by grafting to capture the best selections with a success rate of about 80%.

There are 4 subspecies that are given species status by some authorities.

subsp. bicostata (Maiden, Blakely &Simm.) Kirkpatr., Eurabbie (Southern Blue Gum, Blue Gum, Victorian Blue Gum), from Vic and E NSW is widely cultivated; it grows naturally in montane open forest.

subsp. globulus, Blue Gum, is found from Tas and Vic (Otways, Wilsons Promontory, Bass Strait Islands). Specimens VIC: Ballarat (Mair St, Gregory St, near railway in Scotts Pde); Frankston (Crathie Crt, avenue planted by Sir Dallas Brookes); Hamilton (Lonsdale St); St Kilda (Golf Course).

subsp. pseudoglobulus (Maiden) Kirkpatr., Victorian Eurabbie, from Vic (E Gippsland, Otways, Avoca and Flinders Island).

Widely grown overseas (see Zacharin 1978).

NSW, Vic, Tas.

Fruits warty, glaucous.

Source: Spencer, R.; Rule, K. (2002). Eucalyptus. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 3. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 2. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.