[3][4] Eucalyptus macrocarpa was first formally described in 1842 by William Jackson Hooker from a specimen collected by James Drummond from the "guangan".

[5][6] In Curtis's Botanical Magazine, Hooker noted "[t]he colour of the flowers is due to the stamens alone; for petals (as in the genus) there are none, and the calyx falls off like the lid of a box".

He also noted that "the bright red flowers nestled among the leaves, for a very striking object", and that indigenous people called it "morral".

[9][10] In 1993, Ian Brooker and Stephen Hopper described two subspecies and the names have been accepted by the Australian Plant Census: Mottlecah grows in sand in undulating heath between Eneabba, Cataby and Kulin.

[13][18] Eucalyptus macrocarpa is easily grown from seed, but requires good drainage and a dry, frost-free climate.