shining gum Myrtaceae Eucalyptus nitens (H. Deane & Maiden) Maiden symbol: EUNI5 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, fruity aromatic, bright blue-green above, bluish bloom beneath, young foliage nearly round to elliptical and very blue. Flower: Round, 1 inches across, with long white stamens, no petals, making it look like a round bottle brush. Fruit: Dry capsules, 3/4 inch long, somewhat resembling an acorn. Twig: Slender, blue-green to reddish, obviously square/angular. Bark: Attractive, initially green, develops peeling loose strips, outer bark rough reddish brown, inner bark smooth creamy white to yellow green, often described as shiny. Form: A large tree with a straight trunk that can reach 200 feet tall and several feet in diameter. Looks like: blue gum - red ironbark - river red gum - sugar gum Additional Range Information: Eucalyptus nitens is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and is not known to widely escape cultivaton. External Links: USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2016, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson