Eucalyptus rubida is a tree that typically grows to a height of 20–40 m (66–131 ft) and forms a lignotuber.

Young plants and coppice regrowth have sessile, glaucous, more or less round leaves 2–6 mm (0.079–0.236 in) wide arranged in opposite pairs.

[2][3][4][5] Eucalyptus rubida was first formally described in 1899 by Henry Deane and Joseph Maiden in Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales.

[2][5][10] Subspecies barbigerorum is classified as "vulnerable" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

The main threats to the subspecies are habitat disturbance caused by agriculture, development and road work and by timber collection.