Scientific: Eucalyptus erythrocorys (Synonym: Eudesmia erythrocorys)
Common: red cap gum
Family: Myrtaceae
Origin: Very limited in range to southwestern coastal Australia north of Perth.
Pronounciation: Ewe-ka-LIP-tus air-throw-COR-ees
Hardiness zones
Sunset 8-24
USDA 9-11
Landscape Use: Accent, small-sized, open-canopied mallee (shrubby tree), light shade. Red cap gum is a great malle for residential or other smaller landscape spaces.
Form & Character: Irregular (the operative word), single or multiple trunks, rugged, tough, showy.
Growth Habit: Evergreen, woody, broadleaf perennial tree, moderately slow to 15- to 30-feet tall with often greater spread; form is usually variable. Trunk is stout and shaggy.
Foliage/texture: Thick, falcate leaves, 5- to 10-inches long, leaves a bit less glaucous than most eucalyptus, petioles and young stems are red; medium coarse texture.
Flowers & fruits: Flowers have a striking red cap that open to present striking yellow stamens in the late summer and early fall. Fruits are a red to brown capsule.
Seasonal color: Red buds and yellow flowers in August and September. Strong anthocyanin pigmentation in fruit and young stems.
Temperature: Very heat tolerant, cold hardy to 23 to 26oF.
Light: Full sun
Soil: A well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil is required.
Watering: Moderately drought tolerant. Overwatering will induce foliar chlorosis.
Pruning: Crown raise to expose trunk character. Train rigorously when young to the desired shape and form.
Propagation: Seed
Disease and pests: None
Additional comments: This is a somewhat sprawling Australian malle (shrubby tree) that is difficult to train into an upright, standardize, single trunk form. Otherwise, this is a great, tough, small eucalypt for visually short and wide landscape spaces where a multi-trunk, colorful and large screening plant is desired.
