Eucalyptus - Luv ‘Em or Hate ‘Em
Miracle tree or weed?
By Suzzanna Walsh, Master Gardener
If you live in California you certainly are familiar with
eucalyptus trees. If you live in San Luis Obispo County, there is probably one next door, if not
on your own property. After all, over
150 types of eucalyptus have been planted in California and Arizona.
Whether you love them or hate them, eucalyptus have become California landmarks and provoke opinions on
both sides. I am not giving my opinion
on this controversial topic, in order to preserve whatever imagined good will I
have with this newspaper's readership, though I will say I am allergic to the beastly Blue Gum variety, and
routinely have fantasies in which I fell these fell invasives. But as I said, I am withholding my opinion.
Although seemingly everywhere in the state, eucalyptus is not a California native. It is, however, the most widely planted non-native tree
in California.
Eucalyptus come from Down Under.
Eucalyptus is the primary food for Australia’s koala bear.
There are more than 600 species of eucalyptus and Australians sometimes group them as gum, mahogany, box, and stringy
barks. Not only are there many species of eucalyptus, but they grow in many locales on almost
every continent. Eucalyptus were viewed
favorably early on. Baron Ferdinand von
Mueller, a renowned eucalyptologist from Australia, remarked in 1868 that “This
marvelous quickness of growth, combined with a perfect fitness to resist
drought, has rendered many of our tree fame abroad - especially so in countries
where the supply of fuel or hardwoods is not
readily attainable, …we probably posses the means of obliterating the rainless zones of the globe, to spread…woods over our
deserts, and thereby mitigate the distressing drought and to annihilate perhaps even that
occasionally excessive dry heat evolved by the sun’s rays from the naked ground throughout extensive
regions of the interior…affordable shade and shelter, and retaining humidity to the soil, serve other great purposes….” Is it any wonder
he was known as the Prophet of the Eucalyptus?
Why do we find so many eucalyptus trees in California, much less here on the central coast? You might have noticed that Nipomo seems to
have more than it’s fair share and wondered why. I have heard many reasons for the eucalyptus: windbreaks, firewood,
and telephone poles included. I’d be
interested if you have heard other reasons.
The eucalyptus was brought to California during the great gold rush, maybe for its oil
for use in the search for gold particles, or for fire wood and construction materials,
seemingly right along with the miners. And California’s summer time barren landscapes may
have benefited.
Credit for the first California planting is given to W.C. Walker
who owned the Golden Gate Nursery in San Francisco.
He planted seeds from 14 different eucalypts in 1853. Credit may also be due Captain Robert H.
Waterman, or Dr. H.H. Behr, also of San Francisco, who worked for Baron von Mueller…
University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteers can
provide additional gardening information upon request. Call the San Luis Obispo office at 781-5939 on Mondays and
Thursdays from 1 to 5 PM, the Arroyo Grande office at 473-7190 on
Wednesdays from 9 AM to 1 PM, or the Paso Robles office at 237-3100 on
Wednesdays from 9 AM to Noon. The San Luis Obispo Master Gardener website is at http://groups.ucanr.org/slomg/. Questions can be e-mailed to mgsanluisobispo@ucdavis.edu.