This Eucalyptus species has mostly smooth bark, juvenile leaves that are whitish and waxy on the lower surface, glossy green, lance-shaped adult leaves, glaucous, ribbed flower buds arranged singly or in groups of three or seven in leaf axils, white flowers and woody fruit.

Young plants, often several metres tall, and coppice regrowth have stems that are more or less square in cross-section with a prominent wing on each corner.

The flower buds are arranged singly or in groups of three or seven in leaf axils, sometimes sessile or on a short thick peduncle.

Mature buds are top-shaped to conical, glaucous or green, with a flattened hemispherical, warty operculum with a central knob.

[14] Each subspecies has a characteristic arrangement of its flower buds:[15] Blue gum grows in forests in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, including some of the Bass Strait Islands.

Subspecies bicostata occurs in montane and tableland areas between the Carrai Plateau in northern New South Wales and the Pyrenees in Victoria.

Subspecies pseudoglobulus is mostly distributed in eastern Gippsland but there are isolated populations further inland and in the Nadgee Nature Reserve in south-eastern New South Wales.

Cyprus, southern Africa, New Zealand, western United States (California), Hawaii, Macaronesia,[20]They typically grow from 30–55 m (98–180 ft) tall.

[28] It has poor lumber qualities due to growth stress problems, but can be used in construction, fence posts and poles.

E. globulus is the primary source of global eucalyptus oil production, with China being the largest commercial producer.

[37] E. globulus bark contains quinic, dihydroxyphenylacetic and caffeic acids, bis(hexahydroxydiphenoyl (HHDP))-glucose, galloyl-bis(HHDP)-glucose, galloyl-HHDP-glucose, isorhamentin-hexoside, quercetin-hexoside, methylellagic acid (EA)-pentose conjugate, myricetin-rhamnoside, isorhamnetin-rhamnoside, mearnsetin, phloridzin, mearnsetin-hexoside, luteolin and a proanthocyanidin B-type dimer, digalloylglucose and catechin.