Eucalyptus rhodantha
Common Name: Rose Mallee
Family: MYRTACEAE (C. 150Genera)
Origin of Scientific Name
Eucalyptus - Greek eu = well + calyptos = covered, referring to the operculum or cap covering the stamens in the bud.
rhodantha – Greek rhodo = rose coloured + anthos = flower
Description
Eucalyptus rhodantha is a low, spreading mallee that grows to 4 metres high. The stems are smooth greyish white, and the foliage, greyish white tinged with blue or green, all usually covered in a white bloom.
The large flowers, up to 7.5 cm across, are typically pink to bright crimson but can be cream or white, and are comprised of filaments, with very visible bright yellow anthers. The operculum which covers them, and is eventually forced off by their elongation, as in all Eucalypts, is made of the fused petals and sepals.
Distribution
Though common in cultivation and urban horticulture, the Rose Mallee is very rare in nature, with as few as 400 individual plants in four or five populations in the northern wheatbelt of Western Australia, mostly on cleared agricultural land or roadside verges, which do not provide a secure habitat.
Flowering Season
July to January, though often as early as March.
Cultivation/Propagation
Sowing has been successful at all times of the year, but if you don’t have a cool room, germinate in the cooler months. It requires full sun and a sandy, well-drained soil and will not do well in cool, wet climates.
View In Kings Park
- Opposite Roe carpark and adjacent to Roe lawn.
- In the Botanic Gardens entry bed, south of entry path.
- In the garden beds surrounding Zamia Cafe.
To help locate these sites, you may wish to download the Western Australian Botanic Garden Guide brochure via our brochures page.
Notes
The flowers are long-lived and produce copious amounts of nectar, which attracts possums, honeyeaters, wattlebirds, miners and ringneck parrots.