Family:
Myrtaceae
Eucalyptus leucoxylon
Yellow Gum
Other Names: Blue Gum, White Ironbark, South Australian Blue Gum, Inland Blue Gum
Regional Subspecies:
Eucalyptus leucoxylon subsp. pruinosa
HABIT:
Mallee or tree to 25 m high. Coarse, loose, fibrous bark at base, with most of trunk and stems smooth and yellowish. Juvenile leaves and flower-buds glaucous. White-cream flowers (May-Dec).
HABITAT & SITE PREFERENCE:
Relatively well-watered sites, often on deep soils, but also more rocky sites. Prefers 300 to 500 mm rainfall in the Riverina region.
SEED COLLECTION & PROPAGATION:
Collect seed mid Feb-late May. Propagate from seed (approx. 600 viable seeds per gram) – available from specialist nurseries. Medium growth rate. Regenerates from stem and coppices after fire.
VALUES & USES:
Excellent in windbreaks due to its height and dense foliage. Provides relatively sparse crown cover, so does not create heavy shade. Hard, strong, and very durable yellowish timber, suitable for posts, poles, and fuel. Flowers are an excellent food source for honeyeaters and other nectar-feeding birds and insects. Old trees produce many hollows for nesting and habitat. First Nations People used wood to make clubs and shields. Excellent for gardens to attract birds. The cultivated E. leucoxylon var. rosea is attractive and popular. Good honey production. Juvenile leaves potentially useful for the cut flower industry.