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Scientific: Eucalyptus leucoxylon (Synonyms: Eucalyptus gracilipes, Eucalyptus petiolaris)
Common: white iron bark, yellow gum, Tasmanian yellow gum, red flowering gum, and several more local indigenuous Australian common names.
Family: Myrtaceae
Origin: Open forest and woodland in western Victoria, South Australia and southwestern New South Wales, Australia.

Pronounciation: Ewe-ka-LIP-tus lou-COX-i-lon

Hardiness zones:
Sunset 8-24
USDA 9-11

Landscape Use: Medium-sized open and variably upright tree, light shade, great for residential areas, narrow commercial spaces, street medians, or other small spaces.

Form & Character: Strongly upright, open and sleek (smooth white when brown phellum sheds) and somewhat refined evergreen variably small to large tree.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, woody, broadleaf perennial tree, moderate and open variable height from 20 to 80 feet with less than equal spread, trunk phellum shedding to become smooth and very WHITE (white).

Foliage/texture: Glaucous gray to bluish green leaves, 3- to 6-inches long, falcate, sometimes the lamina midvein, petiole and youngs stems are reddish in color; medium texture.

Flowers & fruits: White, cream, pink, to sometimes red flowers; fruits are a capsule.

Seasonal color: Flowers provide a subtle acecnt during during fall into winter, otherwise one is enamored by the 'whiteness-of-it-all' year round.

Temperature: Heat tolerant, cold hardy to 14o to 18oF.

Light: Full sun

Soil: Tolerant

Watering: Moderately drought tolerant.

Pruning: Elevate canopy base and expose trunk character.

Propagation: Seed

Disease and pests: None

Additional comments: Surprisingly, white iron bark is little used in Phoenix landscapes even though its bleached white and smooth trunk is wonderful and it's locally fully environmentally tolerant. Instead landscape architects seem to favor use of it near look alike cousin, Corymbia papuana (ghost gum) because of its faster growth rate. In my opinion, white iron bark once established is one of the best medium-sized eucalyptus trees for Phoenix landscapes.

Listed here are six recognized subspecies of Eucalyptus leucoxylon:

  1. subspecies bellarinensis - small and shrublike mallee with fibrous, grey bark at the base and a smooth white upper trunk.
  2. subspecies leucoxylon - has a typical form, but with cream-colored flowers.
  3. subspecies megalocarpa - has a smaller growth habit and large fruit. This is often available under the horticultural name 'Rosea'.
  4. subspecies petiolaris - has bell-shaped, ribbed fruits and juvenile leaves with long stalks.
  5. subspecies pruinosa - has grey juvenile leaves and fruits.
  6. subspecies stephaniae - has a mallee (shrub like) habit.

Minor factoids: In Australia, an essential oil from the leaves is used as a food flavoring in baked goods, ice cream and sweets. The specific epithet 'leucoxylon' comes from the Greek for 'white wood'.