Eucalyptus leucoxylon subsp. megalocarpa – Eucalyptus leucoxylon ‘Rosea’, Large-fruited Yellow Gum, Red Flowering Yellow Gu

Description

A small to medium-sized tree with white or yellowish to bluish gray bark, sickle-shaped, highly aromatic leaves and beautiful, pink flowers in winter, native to open forests in southeastern Australia. Eucalyptus leucoxylon “Rosea” is a popular ornamental tree for warm temperate climates. It is easily and quickly grown from seeds.

Subspecies megalocarpa is a relatively small tree with red flowers and large fruit is often available under the horticultural name, ‘Rosea’. It flowers profusely in winter is widely planted as an ornamental plant.

This delightful eucalypt has a lovely spreading but relatively compact habit. The flower colour can vary from dark red, pink to yellow, and the flowers are large. The following fruit is decorative as well. It is widely planted in southern Australia as a feature tree but tends to struggle in more humid climates such as Sydney and Brisbane. It is generally grown from seed and thus the form of the tree and flower colour can vary quite a lot and sometimes be disappointing. However, good forms are to die for! It is virtually maintenance free apart from cleaning up any fallen leaves. It is adaptable to a wide range of soil types. Can drop limbs in windy areas.