Eucalyptus crenulata Victorian silver gum

A small tree of breathtaking beauty, at least in its details, exceptionally rare and endangered in the wild, and thus worthy of great attention for several excellent reasons. New growth is entirely covered with white wax: leaves, buds, twigs, and all. To peer at the new leaves is to look into a tiny winter wonderland. The juvenile leaves are in pairs, with handsome scalloped margins, each rounded tooth sometimes having its own finer scallops (crenulate means minutely scalloped or notched, and is related to cranny). They are held on twigs covered with little warty outgrowths. Clusters of beaked buds in groups of 7–11 are followed by sweetly scented creamy white flowers. This eucalypt is one of few to maintain its juvenile foliage throughout its lifespan. Older leaves lose their glaucous coating, revealing a surface of rich glossy green.

Three were planted in the Bracewell Memorial Grove just south of the vernal pool in 2008. Only one still stands. It has lost its main crown but several tall shoots are contenders for potential new trunks. Fewer than 700 plants remain in the wild, in two swampy pockets in Victoria that are separated by the southern end of the Great Dividing Range. This species is a remnant of the cooler-climate eucalypts once common in southern Australia during a colder epoch.

Related material: Eucalyptus checklist.