Eucalyptus polyanthemos aka Redbox

Eucalyptus polyanthemos is an evergreen tree. It belongs to Myrtaceae, the myrtle family. Its native range runs from New South Wales to Victoria. Kew places it in the subtropical biome, a broad climate zone. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. Its common names include red box and silver dollar gum. The RHS lists two more names for this same species. These are Australian beech and New South Wales lignum vitae.

This small to medium tree reaches about 50 feet [15.2 metres]. Its dense crown has a weeping form: the branches hang down. The tree keeps its leaves through the year. Its grey bark is tight and fibrous, with a scaly surface. Some bark may fall off, showing smooth bark beneath. Where this happens, the trunk has both rough and smooth patches.

The leaves change shape as the tree grows older. Young leaves are round, while those on mature trees are more egg-shaped. Some mature leaves are broadly lanceolate, like broad spearheads. Leaves reach about three inches long. Their edges are smooth, with no breaks along the rim. Both sides have the same blue-green hue. Leaves grow in turn along the stems, not in opposite pairs. The thin red twigs are smooth, with a white bloom on them.

White flowers grow in groups up to six inches across. The account does not say when the tree blooms. The fruit is a capsule, shaped like a small urn. Each one is about three-eighths of an inch long. The fruits grow in groups too. Their shape and size help tell them apart from the much larger flower groups. The account gives the fruit's shape and size. It does not say what seeds the fruit holds.

The dense, drooping crown and blue-green leaves are the main traits described. Red twigs and bark that changes add points of interest. The evidence gives no soil, water, or sun needs for this species. It gives no hardiness limits or width for the mature crown. No source describes this species' uses in gardens or other planted spaces. None describes its pests or diseases. The sources do not establish which parts people can eat. Nor do they establish safety for people or pets. These gaps do not prove that the tree is safe.