I found this article interesting and thought others might also. Most of the article talks about Southern California. I live in the Northern part of the state and we predominately have a different variety of tree here. It does make great firewood and I have been cutting some as of late. Who Eucalyptized Southern California?
Interesting! Husband had them in his childhood backyard in San Joaquin county, he did not appreciate cleaning up after them.
bigfrank thanks for the link. Very interesting. Seeing that my wife is from NorCal, and I've spent a good amount of time in northern California, as well as living in SoCal for a few years early in my life, I love the smell of eucalyptus trees. Here's a little more info on the a tree and how they got to California. Especially interesting is that the gold Rush brought a need for quick growing lumber trees to support the lumber needs. How the Eucalyptus Came to California
They are very messy and tend to break branches and uproot in high wind. We are taking out about 30-40 Euch trees out at a friends house for just that reason.
I was born and lived in central California from 1960 to 1985. The railroad planted groves and lines of these trees to use as ties. Then they found out they couldn't use them because the warped so badly. Some of those trees are 8' at the stump now. And there are miles of them along the railroad tracks and in groves all along the coast. The variety that we have up here in NorCal do not have the strong smell, not the hanging pods that they do down South..
Leave it to California to plant a blue gum instead of Red Red gums are gorgeous make beautiful furniture, excellent firewood and rail road ties in Australia as wood is termite resistant!!
The ones up north, all the way from San Francisco almost to Humboldt county sure smell great. I've not seen any in Humboldt county. Easily probably my favorite experience ever on a motorcycle was smelling the eucalyptus groves on hwy 1.
Seems I seen some in Arcata in Humbolt county, near hwy 101, but it's been awhile since I have been over there. Lots of beautiful redwoods there though.
