My glorious flowering eucalypt

Today I noticed red gum blossom caps on the lawn and path in my front garden. This is a sign that my favourite flowering tree is flowering early this year! I love the contrast of the bright red caps with the yellow-green blossoms and the grey-green leaves. It's a spectacular sight, and people are stopped in their tracks when they see it in all its glory. The bees love it, too - if you look closely, you can see three of them. It's native to Western Australia, and I should know it's botanical name because I know I've been told...but I've forgotten. It usually flowers in March, so maybe it's another sign of the way our weather is changing. I collect the caps and put them in a bowl, so that I can admire them for the rest of the year. The colour lasts quite well, although they do darken as they age. They look great in a potpourri mix, too.