Virginia Tech Dendrology

sugargum Myrtaceae Syzygium nervosum DC. symbol: SYNE2
Leaf: Alternate (may be opposite on young branches), simple, evergreen, leathery, ovate to narrowly lanceolate, 4 to 8 inches long, often curved and drooping, long pointed, entire margins, aromatic, dull green above, bluish bloom beneath, young foliage more blue.
Flower: Round, 2 inches across, with very long creamy white stamens, no petals, making it look like a round bottle brush, appearing singly in leaf axils in winter and early spring.
Fruit: An urn-shaped capsule 3/8 inch long, in clusters.
Twig: Slender, yellow green to reddish, smooth.
Bark: Attractive, peels in long loose strips, often piling up at base; outer bark rough reddish brown, inner bark smooth creamy white to yellow green.
Form: A large tree with a straight trunk that can reach 200 feet tall and several feet in diameter.
Looks like: shining gum - red ironbark - river red gum - blue gum

Additional Range Information: Syzygium nervosum is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and is not known to widely escape cultivaton. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material © 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information