IN THIS ARTICLE
Overview
There’s something truly special about a white gum tree. Its smooth, cream or white bark and graceful form bring a bright, uplifting presence to any garden or landscape. Its luminous trunks glow in the sunlight, creating a sense of calm and effortless elegance.
In contemporary gardens, white gum trees have become favourites for their clean lines and sculptural beauty. They look just as striking in a minimalist courtyard as they do standing proudly in a larger native landscape.
Given the right climate, these trees thrive with little attention, rewarding gardeners with year-round structure and understated beauty. From compact forms that fit neatly into courtyards to taller specimens that make a bold statement, there is a white gum tree for every space.
This article highlights some of the finest white gum species and cultivars – most staying under 8 m and ideal for smaller home gardens, with a few taller forms (up to 15 m) suited to more spacious yards.
12 white-barked eucalypts
1. Eucalyptus leucoxylon ‘Euky Dwarf’
Eucalyptus Leucoxylon ‘Euky Dwarf’ is arguably one of the most popular small eucalyptus trees, deliberately bred for a highly controlled mature size, typically peaking at 5 – 7 m, perfectly suited for small urban gardens.
The tree forms a tidy, slightly weeping canopy that provides light, dappled shade. It is highly ornamental for its trunk featuring the classic, smooth, mottled cream and pale grey bark of the Yellow Gum, which sheds to reveal subtle colouring underneath.
Prominent features include a spectacular display of large, vibrant red to deep pink flowers. This cultivar is renowned for its hardiness and adaptability, performing well in semi-arid, Mediterranean, temperate and mild subtropical zones.
2. Eucalyptus gregsoniana (Wolgan Snow Gum)
Eucalyptus gregsoniana (Wolgan Snow Gum) is an elegant, highly cold-tolerant species that presents either as a handsome mallee (multi-stemmed shrub) or a small, single-trunked tree, typically maturing 4 – 8 m, making it perfectly sized for a small garden.
Its form is graceful, with a rounded, relatively dense canopy with pendulous foliage. The bark is its most prominent feature: smooth and powdery white to cream or pale grey, providing a striking, clean vertical accent.
The white gum tree is exceptionally hardy, with a suitable growing climate extending across cooler temperate zones and highlands, possessing excellent tolerance for heavy and prolonged frost and cold, wet conditions.
3. Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. niphophila (Alpine Snow Gum)
Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. niphophila (Alpine Snow Gum) is a striking white gum tree, known for its picturesque broad canopy and multiple, sculptural, gnarled trunks. It typically grows to around 4 – 7 m, making it an impressive yet manageable feature tree in smaller urban gardens.
The most distinctive feature is the bark, which is stunningly smooth and powdery, peeling away in large flakes to reveal a beautiful tapestry of colours ranging from cream, pale green, and white to subtle patches of pink or grey, giving the trunk a highly sculptural, mottled appearance.
This subspecies is distinct from others with smaller foliage, delicate flowers and a whiter overall coating. It is exceptionally resilient with superb frost hardiness, highly suited to cold, mountainous, or cool temperate regions.
4. Eucalyptus caesia subsp. magna (Silver Princess)
Speaking of white gum trees, you cannot go past Eucalyptus caesia subsp. magna (Silver Princess). Distinguished by its weeping form and striking aesthetic appeal, it is a highly sought-after ornamental tree in Australian gardens.
Typically maturing 6 – 8 m, the tree is celebrated with stunning bark and trunk. Although the tree is not entirely white, with the reddish-brown, minni richi bark on the main trunk, its pendulous branches are covered in a striking, thick powdery white-silver coating.
The foliage is a handsome blue-green, while the tree produces eye-catching pink or red flowers followed by large, white-coated gum nuts. Thriving in warm, dry conditions with excellent drought tolerance, it’s a spectacular choice for arid, Mediterranean and temperate climate gardens.
5. Eucalyptus mannifera ‘Little Spotty’
Eucalyptus mannifera ‘Little Spotty’ is a superb dwarf cultivar of the Brittle Gum, specifically selected to mature reliably 3 – 7 m, making it an ideal small feature tree for urban settings. ‘Little Spotty’ is a graceful white gum tree, developing a rounded, yet open crown with fine, slightly pendulous blue-green foliage.
The tree’s most striking aesthetic asset is its highly decorative bark: smooth, white or pale grey, shedding in irregular patches to reveal a beautifully mottled pattern of various colours on the trunk seasonally. This clean, ornamental bark provides a strong vertical accent, perfect for modern design.
Although endemic to cool temperate regions, this white gum tree is highly adaptable, thriving in various climates, including semi-arid, Mediterranean, warm temperate, and mild subtropical, exhibiting excellent tolerance for moderate to heavy frosts and prolonged dry periods once established.
6. Eucalyptus erythronema (Red-flowered Mallee)
Eucalyptus erythronema is a compact and highly ornamental small tree, typically presenting as a graceful single or multi-trunked mallee, mature at 3 – 6 m, making it perfectly suited for smaller gardens. Its canopy is attractive, often dense and dome-shaped.
The species features striking, creamy-white or pale-yellow bark that transitions into dramatic, fiery orange, pink, deep or dark red in autumn. Another prominent feature is its production of abundant clusters of large, red, showy flowers.
This white gum tree naturally thrives in low-humidity, semi-arid environments, but can also flourish in dry Mediterranean, temperate and mild subtropical zones, demonstrating exceptional drought tolerance.
7. Dwarf Lemon-scented Gum
A superb choice for smaller landscapes, Dwarf Lemon-scented Gum is specifically bred to maintain a compact, controlled size. It includes three main cultivars, all grafted forms of Corymbia citriodora (Lemon-scented Gum).
The cultivar ‘Scentuous’ grows under 10 m in height, while ‘Baby Citro’ and ‘Lemon Essence’ peak at 6 m and 8 m, respectively. Lemon-scented gum is famous for its elegant and upright form, with its trunk a defining feature: wonderfully smooth and chalky white to pinkish-grey.
Thriving across Mediterranean, temperate, subtropical, and mild tropical climates, Lemon-scented Gum is one of the most adaptable white gum tree species, demonstrating strong heat and drought tolerance.
8. Eucalyptus albida (White-leaved Mallee)
Eucalyptus albida, also known as White-leaved Mallee, is the smallest white gum. It is a miniature eucalypt that grows as either a single-stemmed tree or a multi-stemmed mallee, typically reaching 2 – 4 m tall. Its dense, rounded canopy makes an excellent structural feature in modern landscapes.
The smooth, powdery white to pale grey bark gives the plant a soft, ghostly elegance, while its teardrop-shaped, silvery-blue juvenile leaves are among the most ornamental of any eucalypt. As the tree matures, the foliage deepens to a rich green and becomes lance-shaped.
Renowned for its toughness, this white gum tree tolerates drought and endures frost once established. It is widely cultivated across Australia and performs well in semi-arid, Mediterranean, temperate, and mild subtropical climates.
9. Eucalyptus leucoxylon subsp. megalocarpa ‘Rosea’
‘Rosea’ is a selected form of Eucalyptus leucoxylon subsp. megalocarpa, commonly known as Large-fruited Yellow Gum, due to its spectacular flowers. This highly sought-after small feature tree naturally forms a compact, often single-trunked structure with a broad, spreading canopy.
Its trunk is typically smooth and pale, displaying mottled shades of cream, light bluish-grey, and sometimes retaining fibrous, rough bark near the base of the trunk. Growing to 5 – 10 m, ‘Rosea’ is prized for producing profuse, deep rose-pink to red flowers in large clusters.
Exceptionally hardy and versatile, this tree tolerates both drought and frost, thriving across a wide range of climates, from dry Mediterranean to temperate and subtropical regions, making it a reliable and resilient choice for modern, low-maintenance gardens.
10. Eucalyptus haemastoma (Scribbly Gum)
Eucalyptus haemastoma (Scribbly Gum) is a medium-sized, white gum tree with a distinctive and attractive overall form. It can be single or multi-trunked, and its canopy is open, irregular, and somewhat narrow, contributing to its stately appearance.
Peaking at a height of 10 – 15 m, this white gum tree features smooth, white, silvery-grey, or pale yellowish bark. This unique, highly ornamental trunk provides a strong, clean vertical accent in the garden, making it a striking focal point.
Each year, the outer layer of bark sheds to reveal new bark underneath, displaying distinctive ‘scribbles’ left by scribbly gum moth larvae. Scribbly Gum tolerates drought, heat, moderate frost and coastal conditions. Endemic to eastern Australia, it thrives primarily in Mediterranean, temperate and subtropical climates.
11. Eucalyptus scoparia (Wallangarra White Gum)
Eucalyptus scoparia, also known as Wallangarra White Gum, is a stunning, small-to-medium, white gum tree that naturally maintains a beautiful, slender, and somewhat columnar shape, making it an ideal choice for narrower garden spaces where tree height is not a concern.
Typically maturing 8 – 15 m in height, the graceful tree features a smooth, white or light grey trunk, providing a strong, elegant vertical accent and year-round aesthetic appeal. The fine, slightly pendulous, blue-green foliage further enhances its graceful structure.
This white gum tree is very hardy, tolerating high heat, drought and frost. With exceptional adaptability, it thrives in Mediterranean, temperate, and subtropical climates.
12. Eucalyptus lacrimans (Weeping Snow Gum)
Eucalyptus lacrimans is an elegant small white gum, admired for its softly pendulous branches that create a sweeping, open canopy and lend the tree a distinct, graceful presence.
Typically reaching 8 – 15 m in height, the Weeping Snow Gum is highly ornamental, with smooth, powdery white bark accented by patches of cream, grey, or orange as it matures. The bark peels away in long, thin ribbons, revealing subtle shifts in colour throughout the seasons.
This white eucalypt is native to high-altitude regions of southeastern Australia, where it endures cold, damp winters with snow and frozen ground. Although slow-growing, it is exceptionally cold-hardy, making it an excellent choice for cool, temperate climate zones.
It is worth noting that its drought tolerance is moderate compared to most eucalypts. In warmer regions, young trees may require supplemental watering during the summer to establish and thrive.
Final Words
White gum trees are inherently sculptural, making them a perfect fit for modern landscape design. A single specimen becomes a living artwork, its luminous trunk transforming with the play of light and shadow through the day.
Alternatively, planting a small grove of two or three can create a sense of rhythm and calm movement, evoking a natural woodland feel.
Visually, white trunks are stunning when set against dark mulch, stone, architectural elements like brick or concrete wall, or landscaping materials like corten steel. The contrast emphasises their luminous quality, creating a space that feels both contemporary and connected to the Australian outback.
