River Peppermint

Eucalyptus elata is a tree that typically grows to a height of 40 m (130 ft), rarely a mallee to 6 m (20 ft), and forms a lignotuber. It has rough, compact, dark grey bark, with narrow longitudinal fissures on the lower trunk. The bark on the upper trunk and branches is smooth, shedding in long ribbons often remaining in the crown, leaving a grey, cream-coloured or whitish surface. Young plants and coppice regrowth have leaves arranged in opposite pairs, lance-shaped to curved, 33–105 mm (1.3–4.1 in) long and 6–16 mm (0.24–0.63 in) wide. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, the same glossy green on both sides, lance-shaped to curved, 60–220 mm (2.4–8.7 in) long and 6–20 mm (0.24–0.79 in) wide on a petiole 6–20 mm (0.24–0.79 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of between eleven and thirty or more in leaf axils on an unbranched peduncle 4–12 mm (0.16–0.47 in) long, the individual buds on a pedicel 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long. Mature buds are club-shaped, 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long and 1.5–3 mm (0.059–0.118 in) wide with a conical to rounded operculum. Flowering occurs from August to December and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody, hemispherical or shortened spherical capsule 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long and 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) wide with the valves enclosed below the rim.

River peppermint usually grows along watercourse but sometimes also in undulating country, on rocky ridges or on scree slopes in forest. It grows near the coast and nearby tablelands south from Putty in New South Wales to eastern Victoria.

E. elata is widely cultivated as a street and ornamental tree for its beautiful upper smooth bark, rich green foliage and profusion of flowers that appear in spherical masses.