Yellow Box

Eucalyptus melliodora

Yellow Box
Yellow Box

Small to tall (12– 30m) tree with spreading, symmetrical crown. Bark is rough, fairly loose, fibrous, yellowish brown, covering the base only or the whole trunk, then merging into smooth, yellow to greyish white along the upper trunk and branches.

Juvenile leaves are blue grey with stems, alternate, pointed or rounded. Adult leaves are 6–14cm long, dull green to grey green usually pointed but some more oval.

Buds in clusters of 7, with pointed or round caps producing white flowers November–January. The fruit is stalked, small and pear-shaped with sunken valves.

Distribution: Victoria and NSW especially inland of the Dividing Range and just into Queensland. Common around Canberra and widely planted as a street tree.

Timber used for construction, poles, railway sleepers, fencing and fuel. Source of gum and honey.