The species also occurs in New Guinea. These differ from var. The bark is grey to cream, fibrous and in papery layers.
Leaves are broad, oval, flat, stiff, thick.
The new growth is hairy. The flowers are usually greenish-cream but a small percentage of plants produce red to pink blooms. The broad-leaved paperbark is adaptable to a wide range of soils and conditions but does particularly well on heavy clays which are waterlogged in the wet. Propagation is easy from seed and cuttings are also successful. Red flowered forms should be propagated from cuttings to ensure that they produce plants true to the parent.