Eucalyptus kruseana (Book-leaf Mallee) - The foliage on this evergreen shrub looks like miniature Eucalyptus pulverulenta (AKA Baby Blue) leaves with pairs of rounded silvery-blue leaves stacked neatly and tightly along the stem. It is a slow growing shrub that has an angular shape reaching 8-10 feet tall and typically wider than tall, but can be cut hard to its lignotuberous base to make a more dense rounded shrub. The yellow flowers bloom in between the pairs of foliage in the spring.
Plant in full sun with occasional to infrequent irrigation. It is hardy to around 20° F. This plant is a very attractive and reliable plant in summer dry landscapes in Santa Barbara and is great for use in flower arrangements much like the similar but more open Eucalyptus pulverulenta 'Baby Blue'.
This mallee (shrubby Eucalypt) has a restricted distribution range east and south-east of Kalgoorlie in southern in Western Australia, usually growing on or around granite rocks. The name for the genus comes from the Greek words 'eu' meaning "well" and 'kalypto' meaning 'to cover' as with a lid and an allusion to the united calyx-lobes and petals that is called an operculum that forms a lid or cap that is shed when the flowers open. The specific epithet honors John Kruse, a 19th century pharmacist and chemist from Fitzroy, Victoria.
We first grew this plant from 1993 until 2003 after seeing it growing well in an unirrigated are in Franceschi Park, a city park located high on the Santa Barbara Riviera. We have not found record of who first introduced this interesting plant into California, but it was listed as growing in Santa Barbara as early as in 1972.
This information about Eucalyptus kruseana displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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