General Description:

With about 800 species, Eucalyptus is the second largest genus in the Australian flora and range from medium shrubs to huge forest trees.  The three genera Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora are known collectively as 'eucalypts' and they dominate many Australian landscapes.  They are only absent (or at least reduced in diversity) in rainforests and truly arid environments.

Eucalyptus gillii is a small tree, usually of “mallee” habit (multi-trunks arising from a lignotuber) but occasionally growing on a single trunk. It reaches about 5-7 metres in height. The bark is greyish and persistent near the base of the trunks but is smooth and cream/grey elsewhere. The juvenile foliage is greyish-green and oval shaped to about 100 mm in length. The juvenile leaves are usually arranged in an “opposite” configuration. Adult leaves may only occur at the ends of the branches. The white flowers occur in clusters in the leaf axils in spring and early summer.

E.gillii is closely related to E.socialis (red mallee) but differs in that E.gillii retains juvenile foliage in the crown of the tree.

Curly mallee is not widely grown but would be an attractive small tree for dry climates. The foliage is eye-catching and the flowers well displayed. The suitability for this species in wetter or more humid climates is not known. Because of its lignotuberous habit, the species should respond to hard pruning to near ground level if rejuvenation is required.

Propagation is from seed which germinates readily.