Common name: Mountain White Gum, Moore’s Gum

Family: MYRTACEAE

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Origin of Scientific Name

Eucalyptus – (Greek) eu – well, and calyptos – covered, in reference to the flower-bud which has an operculum or cap.

mooreana – after Newton J. Moore (1870–1936), past Premier and Agent-General in London for Western Australia.

Description

This attractive eucalypt is a small, crooked tree with smooth white bark that can grow up to nine metres high. It grows in sandy soil overlying sandstone and quartzite at altitudes of 650–1000 metres in King Leopold Range and Lady Forrest Range in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

The adult leaves of the Mountain White Gum are thick, grey-green and up to 15 cm long. It produces buds with conical bud caps in groups of four to seven which open into pale yellow flowers from May to August. The buds and fruits have no individual stalks but have a thick common stalk about one cm long.

Eucalyptus mooreana is listed as a Threatened species as it is known only from six populations; five of which are in conservation parks and one on a pastoral station.

Kings Park nursery first cultivated Eucalyptus mooreana in 1989 but it is otherwise not common in cultivation.

Horticultural tips

• As Eucalyptus mooreana is a Threatened species, it is not available commercially.

For more horticultural tips view our Plant Notes section.

View in Kings Park

Visit Kings Park and Botanic Garden to see eucalyptus mooreana at Two Rivers Lookout, near the entry to the Western Australian Botanic Garden and adjacent to the Vietnam Memorial at May Drive Parkland (refer to maps).

Want more information?

Refer to the profile for this plant on the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions' FloraBase online herbarium.