The Best Scribbly Gum for Eastern Australia?

Scribbly Gums are highly sought after for use in gardens, streets, and parks throughout Eastern Australia. With their smooth white bark, informal shape, and the distinctive scribbles created by the larvae of the Scribbly Gum beetle, these trees make a striking visual impact.

The options

Our initial experience was with Eucalyptus haemastoma, the well-known “Broad-Leaved Scribbly Gum”. Although these trees were beautiful at first, they often failed to thrive in the long run. Their unreliability meant we eventually stopped growing them; if they struggled in the nursery, it was expected they would be just as unreliable in the landscape.

Seeking an alternative, we trialled Eucalyptus racemosa, the “Narrow-Leaved Scribbly Gum”, and it proved to be a great success. Not only does E. racemosa have the same visual appeal as E. haemastoma, but it also demonstrates consistent reliability.

The conclusion

There is some variation in published sources about the expected mature size of these two scribbly gums, but most agree that, in our urban landscapes, both should reach a similar size and serve the same purpose. Their medium stature, spectacular white bark, scribbles, and attractive form make both species highly valued for a range of planting applications.

Further research shed some light on the likely reason why these two species differ in their reliability. E. haemastoma naturally grows primarily on poor sandstone soils in the Sydney region, suggesting it has very specific soil and climate requirements. In contrast, E. racemosa is found across a much wider area, from Bombala in southern New South Wales, northwest to Bathurst, west to Canberra, and north to Gympie and Bundaberg in southeast Queensland. This broader natural range indicates that E. racemosa can tolerate a far wider variety of soil and climate conditions.

For most landscape projects in Eastern Australia, planting E. racemosa rather than E. haemastoma will greatly increase the likelihood of establishing healthy, successful Scribbly Gums. For landscape use in Eastern Australia, E. racemosa is the better Scribbly Gum.

Species and Subspecies

There are now two recognised Scribbly Gum species: Eucalyptus haemastoma and Eucalyptus racemosa. Additionally, E. racemosa includes two subspecies: E. racemosa subsp. racemosa and E. racemosa subsp. rossii. The former is found in the more coastal parts of the range, while the latter occurs further west.

At Trees Impact, we grow E. racemosa subsp. racemosa, as it is better suited to planting projects along the eastern parts of our market area.

References:

Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptus_racemosa

Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptus_haemastoma

Hornsby Shire Council Factsheet for Eucalyptus haemastoma

Hornsby Shire Council Factsheet for E. racemosa

The Botanical Realm: Factsheet for E. haemastoma, updated October 2024

The Australian Plants Society: Factsheet for E. racemosa