Blue Mallee

Alice Springs Desert Park

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The Blue Mallee (Eucalyptus gamophylla), is native to the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. They are found growing on sandplains, sand dunes and in stony spinifex country.

A multi stemmed tree (although occasionally you may see a single trunk tree), that can grow up to 6 metres in height and distinctive blue-grey foliage. Known to have more or less smooth white to cream-coloured bark, it also has brown bark that is shed in short ribbons. Sometimes you will see at the base of the tree, the bark is rough, fibrous and stringy.

This eucalypt is usually seen with juvenile foliage, rounded with two opposite leaves fused at the base. The first pair of juvenile leaves are narrow-lanceolate (narrow oval shape tapering to a point at each end), followed by progressively broader more shortly petiolate leaves (leaf stalks or petioles that attach the leaves to the stem), becoming suborbicular (nearly circular) and connate (a leaf shaped as though the bases of two opposite leaves had fused around the stem). The adult leaves are rarely seen on this plant. The leaves are popular in floral displays (especially indigenous floral displays).

The Blue Mallee has creamy white flowers that appear from October to November.