| General Description | The lemon scented leaves are a pale green color and don’t change color throughout the seasons. One distinguishable feature the tree has is that the first branch often grows halfway up the height of the tree. The bark peels off as time passes and reveals a smooth, pale-white bark underneath that will turn grey after time. |
| ID Characteristic | One easy identification characteristic is the strong citrus smell the leaves and wood gives off. Another key feature is the pale, narrow, tall stem of the tree, with its creamy whitish grey bark. Another thing I would look for when identifying the species is a lignotuber at the base of the tree’s trunk. |
| Shape | The tree is often straight stemmed with an upright form ranging from 25- 40 meters tall. |
| Landscape | The Corymbia citriodora has a variety of uses in the landscape. It can be planted in groups to provide shade and shelter. They also use the tree as a windbreaker and for land reclamation. This tree has also always been used as an ornamental landscape tree. |
| Propagation | The seedlings can be surface sown from a sunny position in the green house during February/March. They like to have 6 - 8 weeks cold stratification at 2°C. Pot up the seedlings into individual pots as soon as the second set of seed leaves has developed. Plant into permanent positions as soon as possible. |
| Cultivation | The Corymbia Citriodora is a very resilient plant. It can handle a very long dry period (5-7 months). It isn’t a very cold hardy plant but it can do well in areas that occasionally have frost. It likes a nice sunny area with well drained fertile soil, although it can tolerate poor dry soils with low mineral content. These trees are very drought tolerant once they are established. |
| Pests | The tree is often a host for psyllids. They suck out the plant’s juices leaving it all bummy. This pest is also known for secreting honeydew that can lead to a sooty mold forming on the tree. It can also be an attraction for beetle borers. Oval shaped holes are a sign of infestation. Root rot can also be a problem for these trees. Unsterilized soil or contaminated water can be a cause of this in a garden setting. |
| Notable Specimens | Kings Park in Perth Australia has a very beautiful avenue lined with this tree. |
| Habitat | The corymbia citriodora grows mainly in dry forests and woodlands. |
| Bark/Stem Description | The bark is smooth throughout the stem. It has a pale whitish grey color and sheds off the trunk in thin curling flakes. The tree is often single stemmed with wide spreading foliage. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | The flower buds are in groups of three and have a pale green color. In late spring to early summer the flowers open up to reveal a beautiful creamy white flower. |
| Leaf Description | The leaves are alternating, the petiole is 1-2.5 centimeters long. The blades are narrow and can be 10- 23 centimeters long. The leaf as a glossy green color and when crushed they smell strongly of lemon or citronella. |
| Fruit Description | The Fruit is barrel shaped (urceolate) 0.8 -1.5 centimeters long. 0.7-1.2 centimeters wide with pedicels 0.1 – 0.7 centimeters long. |
| Colour Description | The bark is a smooth powdery whitish grey bark color. The plant has evergreen foliage that stays the same shade of green the whole year round and its shiny/glossy. |
| Texture Description | The bark is said to have a smooth almost powdery feeling to it. The leaves are glossy. |