Corymbia ficifolia
Common name
scarlet-flowered gum
Synonyms
Eucalyptus ficifolia
Family
Myrtaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
CORFIC
Conservation status
Not applicable
Brief description
Tree to 30 m or more in good soils. Bark persistent, rough, tessellated, brown. Leaves lack oil glands (hold leaf up to light and use hand lens; a crushed leaf has no smell of eucalyptus oil). Stamens red/scarlet/orange.
Distribution
Widely planted in milder parts of New Zealand, especially near the coast
Manaaki Whenua Online Interactive Key
Similar taxa
C. calophylla (marri) is a very similar tree but has white flowers (in NZ, pink-flowered trees are probably hybrids between it and C. ficifolia). Without flowers, marri appears very similar to Corymbia ficifolia, and both are widely grown in milder parts of New Zealand. The oil glands in the leaves of marri provide easy identification - use hand lens or crush and smell (leaves of C. ficifolia lack oil glands and hence crushed leaves are almost odourless).
Flowering
Late Dec - Feb
Flower colours
Orange, Red/Pink
Threats
This taxon may be prone to Myrtle Rust (Austropuccinia psidii) is an invasive fungus which threatens myrtle species - learn more myrtlerust.org.nz