Narrow-leaved Peppermint

Eucalyptus radiata subsp. robertsonii

Narrow-leaved Peppermint

Small to tall tree (12-45m) with lignotuber and dull grey-green to blue-green drooping crown. Bark rough, finely fibrous, dark grey, or grey brown, smooth grey on smaller branches. Juvenile leaves opposite and sessile for many pairs, lanceolate to linear, 3 –10cm long. Adult leaves glossy or dull green to blue grey, lanceolate to falcate or almost linear and 5.5 –12 cm long. Strong peppermint smell when crushed. Clusters of 11-20 buds in leaf axils, producing white flowers October –March. Fruit stalked, pear-shaped with enclosed valves.

Distribution: at higher elevations on the south or east facing slopes at Tidbinbilla, the western side of the NSW Southern Tablelands and in north-east Victoria, often on granite soils. Often coppiced and used for eucalypt oil production.