Eucalyptus albopurpurea – Purple-flowered Mallee

A mallee or small tree with broad, slightly glossy green leaves, smooth cream and grey upper bark and rough lower bark, and clusters of white, cerise pink or mauve flowers. This lovely tree is usually single-stemmed in cultivation and can be a bit straggly with some shedding ribbon bark, but is a delightful feature tree suitable for smaller gardens. It grows from 4 to 6 – 8m high and 2 to 3 – 4m wide, and flowers for many months from winter to summer. It can add character to the garden and provide dappled shade for smaller shrubs. It tolerates drought, frost, coastal saline winds and alkaline soils, and can be pruned to shape as required. It grows in sandy loam, loam, gravelly loam, gravelly clay loam and limestone sand. Origin – Eyre Peninsular, SA