How does leaf arrangement change as Eucalyptus branches age?

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common myrtle — Myrtales Common myrtle (*Myrtus communis*).

In the genus Eucalyptus, the arrangement of leaves changes as the branches age. Young branches typically bear opposite leaves, whereas the leaf arrangement on older branches is alternate.1

This transition is part of a broader developmental phenomenon known as phase change, where plants undergo shifts in form as they mature. In addition to changes in leaf arrangement, various species of Eucalyptus also exhibit a transition in leaf shape, typically moving from ovate juvenile leaves to sickle-shaped mature leaves.2