[9][10] Three subspecies were described in 1987 by Ian Wright and Pauline Ladiges and two of these are recognised by the Australian Plant Census (APC): Eucalyptus diversifolia subsp.

[13][14] This species is part of the Eucalyptus subgenus series Diversiformae, a group of mallees that all have adult leaves held erect, buds with a single unscarred operculum and pyramidal seeds.

The other species in this series include E. erectifolia, E. platydisca, E. pachyloma, E. todtiana, E. lateritica, E. dolorosa and E.

Subspecies diversifolia is found on the Eyre and lower Yorke Peninsulas, on Kangaroo Island in South Australia and eastwards to the Cape Nelson State Park with an isolated population near Aireys Inlet in Victoria, but it is absent from the Nullarbor Plain in far western South Australia.

Subspecies hesperia occurs west of the Nullarbor Plain between Eucla, Caiguna, Cocklebiddy and Madura.