Named after Alexander Segger George (1939–extant 2025). George joined the Western Australian Herbarium in 1959 and remained a member of staff there until 1981. From 1981­ to 1993 he was the foundation Executive Editor of the Flora of Australia. His research activities span Caesalpiniaceae, Myrtaceae, Orchidaceae and Proteaceae, and he is perhaps best known for work on Banksia, Dryandra, Synaphea and Verticordia.

Hyden Blue Gum, Georges Gum.

Mallee to 3 m high. Bark smooth throughout, white or grey. Juvenile leaves ovate to lanceolate, glaucous. Adult leaves broadly lanceolate, acuminate, thick; lamina 9–15 cm long, 2–6 cm wide, grey- or yellow-green; lateral veins faint, at 25°–40°; intramarginal vein up to 1 mm from margin; petiole terete, glaucous, 20–30 mm long. Umbels 7-flowered; peduncle thick, terete or angular, glaucous, 15–30 mm long; pedicels 4–6 mm long. Buds subcylindrical, obovoid or pyriform, glaucous; operculum hemispherical, apiculate, 3–5 mm long, 5–7 mm wide; hypanthium obconical, 7–8 mm long, 5–7 mm wide. Fruits campanulate or cylindrical, glaucous, 12–15 mm long, 9–11 mm wide; valves 4 or 5, slightly exserted. (Chippendale 1988: 286).

[For more recent description see subspecies profiles - Editor]

Eucalyptus georgei is a small tree (mallet) species. The bark is smooth and sheds characteristically in long ribbons that remain hanging from the crown and down the trunk.

Native.

Endemic to Western Australia, where restricted to a few localities between Hyden and Norseman and, disjunctly, to the Fraser Range area east of Norseman.

Usually grows in small pure stands in sandy and lateritic soil on small rises, surrounded by open forest (Chippendale 1988: 286).

Eucalyptus georgei Brooker & Blaxell, Nuytsia 2(4): 224 (1978). Type: 159 km E of Hyden along track to Norseman, W.A., 3 Oct. 1975, D. Blaxell W75/45; holo: NSW; iso: CANB, PERTH.

In the classification of Brooker (2000), Eucalyptus georgei belongs in Eucalyptus subgenus Symphyomyrtus section Dumaria having these features: buds initially with two opercula the outer shed early, stamens strongly inflexed, ovules in 4 rows on the placentae and cotyledons reniform. Within section Dumaria the species belongs to a large sub-group of closely related species (series Rufispermae, 37 described species and subspecies) diagnosed by glandular pith in the branchlets, anthers cuboid to wedge-shaped, versatile, and by the reddish brown and glossy, flattish seeds which are unique to the series.

In the general area between Mount Day, Norseman and Balladonia the large-fruited species of series Rufispermae most likely to be confused with E. georgei is E. lesouefii which, like E. georgei, has waxy branchlets, buds and fruits but is rough-butted and has ribbed buds and fruit. Other large-fruited tree species in this group, and likely to be encountered in this area, are non-glaucous (E. fraseri, E. tenuis, E. distuberosa and E. pterocarpa) and in some cases are also ribbed.

Eucalyptus georgei subsp. georgei
This form has dull, blue-green to glaucous leaves and glaucous branchlets, and usually glaucous buds and young fruit.

Eucalyptus georgei subsp. fulgida 
This form has glossy green adult leaves and glaucous branchlets, buds and young fruit.

See also MORE ABOUT EUCALYPTS.

M.I.H. Brooker & D.F. Blaxell, Nuytsia 2(4): 225, fig. 3 (1978); S. Kelly et al., Eucalypts 1: t. 265 (1983); A.S. George (ed.), Flora of Australia 19: 289, fig. 84E–F (1988).

Brooker, M.I.H. (2000). A new Classification of the Genus Eucalyptus L'Her. (Myrtaceae). Australian Systematic Botany 13(1): 79–148.

Brooker, M.I.H. & Blaxell, D.F. (1978). Five new species of Eucalyptus from Western Australia. Nuytsia 2(4): 220–231.

Brooker, M.I.H. & Hopper, S.D. (1993). New series, subseries, species and subspecies of Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) from Western Australia and from South Australia. Nuytsia 9(1): 1–68.

Chippendale, G.M. (1988). Myrtaceae - Eucalyptus, Angophora, in George, A.S. (ed.), Flora of Australia Volume 19. (Australian Government Publishing Service: Canberra).

Slee, A.V., Brooker, M.I.H., Duffy, S.M. & West, J.G. (2020). EUCLID - Eucalypts of Australia Forth Edition. (Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research: Canberra, CSIRO, ABRS and others). 

Published 6 February 2025. Adapted from EUCLID - Eucalypts of Australia Forth Edition (2020).