Coarse-leaved Mallee

Eucalyptus grossa, the coarse-leaved mallee, is a multi-stemmed shrubby eucalyptus in the family Myrtaceae endemic to southwestern Western Australia. Like other mallee eucalypts, it grows from a lignotuber, a swollen underground rootstock that enables rapid regeneration after fire, drought, or mechanical damage. The species reaches 1.5–4 meters in height and is immediately recognizable by its unusually large, thick, and leathery leaves with a coarse texture that gives the species its common name; the leaves are among the broadest of any mallee eucalyptus. Large showy flowers with abundant golden stamens attract honeyeaters and other nectarivores. Eucalyptus grossa inhabits sandy soils of the Swan Coastal Plain and adjacent Darling Range foothills, growing in kwongan heath, mallee scrub, and transition zones between heathland and jarrah woodland. It is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, being relatively common and widespread within its coastal and near-coastal southwestern Australian range, though many surrounding habitats have been cleared for agriculture and urban development around Perth. The species is commonly cultivated as an ornamental shrub in Australian gardens and is used in revegetation programs due to its drought tolerance and attractive flowering.