Cautionary Tale

This allee of majestic trees, along the edge of this park, consists of 
Eucalyptus globules, or Blue Gum tree.  Many people who live in California assume it is a native because it is found all over the state.  Some think the smell of California is the strong medicinal scent of Eucalyptus.  Actually, it is native to Australia & Tasmania, brought here during the 1840-50 Gold Rush era,  as seeds & was grown for a variety of misguided reasons. What we see today are trees planted as wind breaks, as in this photo, along roadways, or are the remnants of the 40 million trees planted & abandoned.

This tree can grow 4-6 feet per year, topping out at 100 feet, is highly flammable,& can actually explode during a wild fire.  Its habit of continuously shedding bark compounds the problem.  It is a water guzzler and can invade water pipes, & drain wells.  For these reasons,
it is often referred to as the most hated tree in California.

When we lived in Arizona, our house had a very ugly Eucalyptus tree in front; in fact, it was the ugliest tree I had ever seen.  I wanted to cut it down, but my husband disagreed.  About a year later, we had a severe wind storm
& the tree snapped in half, so we removed it.  This tree is notorious for being difficult to remove, but nature  solved the problem for me..  

Now when I see these Blue Gum trees here in California, I do not regret cutting down that tree.  I can admire them in this park or along road ways, but they will not ignite my house or destroy my plumbing.

The moral of the story, is:  introducing foreign plants can be harmful to 
the native plants & animals of the region.  It is a cautionary tale of think
before planting.