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Eucalyptus erythrocorys
Also called Red Cap Gum, Illyarrie, Red Capped Gum
Bookara gum is a small Western Australian eucalypt, usually a tree or mallee 3 to 10 m tall, grown for its striking red-capped flower buds and bright yellow flowers. The key to growing it is full sun and very well-drained soil.
Eucalyptus erythrocorys, commonly known as illyarrie, red-capped gum or helmet nut gum, is a species of tree or mallee from Western Australia. It has smooth bark, sickle-shaped to curved adult leaves, characteristically large flower buds in groups of three with a bright red operculum, bright yellow to yellowish green flowers and sculptured, bell-shaped fruit.
The plant is sold commercially in seed form or as tube stock and is a popular species throughout Australia. The seeds germinate readily.
It can become untidy but is easily kept in shape with a light pruning. The colourful flowers make it appealing to nectar loving birds. The trees are known to shed limbs as a result of the weight of the fruit they carry. It is reasonably fast growing and both drought and smog resistant but can be frost tender. It prefers a position in full sun, in well-drained soils and can be grown in containers and in coastal locations. The flowers are used in wreaths.
The species has a limited distribution north of Perth where it is found on undulating limestone ridges and outcrops growing in sandy alkaline soils near Dongara as well as north of Kalbarri National Park. It is also found on sandy plains, particularly the Geraldton Sandplains between Shark Bay and Jurien.
Eucalyptus abdita · Badgingarra Box · Wattle Leaved Peppermint · Powder Bark Wandoo · Woolbernup Mallee · White-mahogany · Lakefield Coolibah · Wellstead Mallee · Eucalyptus aenea · Welcome Hill Gum · Blue-leaf stringybark · Black Gum
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Eucalyptus erythrocorys by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
