Eucalyptus globulus is a shrubby plant or a flowering tree belonging to the family Myrtaceae. Genus eucalyptus is known to contain more than 700 species. It is a large tree native to Southwestern Australia that was widely planted throughout California for reforestation, building and timber.
The bark is smooth and shed yearly in long ribbons when a new layer of the outermost tissue is formed. Juvenile leaves are ovate, thin, sub-horizontal and covered with a blue grey wax bloom that gives rise to the common name of the species. The adult leaves are lanceolate and shift to vertical hanging.
Trees can grow to 180 feet (55 meters) tall with bark that sheds in long strips, leaving smooth surfaces of contrasting colors. Mature leaves are a waxy grey-blue-green and sickle shaped, while young leaves are oval shaped and bluish green, with distinctive square stems.
The species is adapted to subtropical climates with winter rainfall, such as the Mediterranean region, and to cool zones of tropical mountains, but it is not hardy in warm, temperate climates.
Phytochemical analysis of this plant has revealed that leaf oil contains 1,8-cineole, α-pinene, p-cymene, cryptone and spathulenol. In contrast, essential oil extracted from buds, branches and fruits constitutes α-thujene, 1,8-cineole and aromadendrene as major components.
Southern blue gum
