Eucalyptus polyanthemos

Silver dollar gum, red box, Red Box

Family: Myrtaceae · Type: shrub · Not Native

Silver dollar gum is a naturalized shrub found in southern California coastal regions including San Joaquin Valley, Central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, southern coastal ranges, southern California, Santa Catalina Island, and western Transverse Ranges at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering from December to February, this plant produces white stamens in terminal or axillary panicles with 5 to 7 flowered umbels. Growing up to 25 meters tall with highly variable bark that is rough, fibrous, and persistent or smooth, shedding in gray or tan flakes or irregular strips. Its distinctive round to elliptic leaves range 5 to 10 centimeters long, displaying stunning gray-green, silver, or blue-green coloration that can appear glaucous. The fruit is a small pear to bowl-shaped structure 5 to 6 millimeters long with enclosed valves.

Habitat: Uncommon. Disturbed coastal areas

Bloom period: Dec-Feb

Elevation: < 200 m

Bioregions: SnJV, CCo, SnFrB, SCoRO, SCo, s ChI (Santa Catalina Island), WTR

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.