Over the course of his career, Johnson has seen interest in native plants move from a hip, counterculture movement to becoming the establishment position. Even invasive species conferences now feature panels on how to work with exotics to achieve restoration goals, Johnson says.
The embrace of eucalyptus may be part of this pendulum swing. As we talk, I ask Johnson whether having an independent third party weigh in on some of these questions might be useful, and he perks up. So who would the trusted independent third party be on issues like the relative fire danger posed by eucalyptus vs. Or the danger posed by herbicides used to remove eucalyptus?
Johnson thinks universities are perceived as tainted by industry ties. Could a study on the relative risks and benefits of removing, thinning, or retaining these Australian giants be explored for a number of different goals, from safety to habitat to beauty? Most NAS studies are paid for by federal agencies, but a California state agency could fund a study, or the NAS could use some of their internal funding to take it on themselves.
But in an ideal world, there would be an agreed-upon set of facts. Until then, the magnificent Tasmanian blue gum is, in some sense, a prisoner of dueling realities. This post appears courtesy of Last Word on Nothing. On an economic level, many early promoters believed the eucalyptus could be used for making a number of materials: timber, fuel, medicine, wood pulp, honey, and both medicinal and industrial oils. It all seemed too good to be true. Later, it turned out, it was. The eucalyptus goes to California: Following its spread throughout Europe, northern Africa, India, and South America, settlers in California became increasingly interested in the eucalyptus.
Not only was eucalyptus a fascinating novelty, but the California Gold Rush of the late s and early s created high demand for wood for constructing buildings and for fuel. Deforestation had become a serious concern, so much so that the California Tree Culture Act of was created to encourage people to plant more trees, particularly along roads.
Many entrepreneurs rushed to capitalize on the situation. On his ranch, among many different types of produce trees including olives, walnuts, and figs , he grew over acres of eucalyptus. The eucalyptus forest he started lives on to this day at the Ellwood Bluffs. Cooper became a vocal advocate for the eucalyptus, emphasizing its unique, aesthetically pleasing appearance, as well as its useful qualities. He even wrote the first book in the U. Eucalyptus became very appealing to foresters in the s and s as native hardwoods were being severely depleted.
Starting in the s, the first large-scale commercial planting of the blue gum eucalyptus E. The blue gum, a mid-sized eucalyptus reaching around to over feet tall, is the most common eucalyptus in California.
These trees are easily recognized by their waxy blue leaves and a grayish bark which reveals a smooth, contrasting yellowish surface when the bark sheds off in long strips. As with many other eucalyptus species, sprouts can grow back from a fallen tree stump. By the early s, the get-rich mindset had caused many aspiring forest tycoons to plant countless acres of eucalyptus in hopes of selling the timber for a tidy profit. Sadly, most of these schemes went the way they infamously did for Frank C.
Havens was an Oakland developer who opened a mill and planted eight million eucalyptus trees in a mile-long strip from Berkeley through Oakland. For energy, of course, but also for building every city, for moving things around, all the things where today we use concrete and plastic and steel. So within a few years, nurseries in San Francisco were selling young eucalyptus grown from seed.
Beyond the drive to change the landscape and provide firewood, Californians also planted eucalyptus mainly blue gum to serve as windbreaks. Within a few decades of its arrival, many Californians grew disenchanted with eucalyptus. Blue gum proved terrible for woodworking — the wood often split and cracked, making it a poor choice for railroad ties.
The trees also proved thirsty enough to drain nearby wells. But things changed in the early 20th century when U. Forest Service officials grew concerned about a looming timber famine. Investors saw an opportunity: California had a tree capable of growing to full size within that time frame. If hardwood was about to be scarce, they reasoned, such trees could be in high demand and yield sizable returns within a few short years.
This played out as a speculative frenzy — a bubble. Boosters began selling plantations dense with eucalyptus — hundreds of trees per acre. The anticipated timber famine never came to pass. Some species occasionally regenerate from seed in the UK. Eucalyptus attracts bees and other pollinating insects. Leaves have a high level of essential oils which are difficult for most animals to process.
Australian indigenous populations used eucalyptus for spiritual cleansing. Eucalyptus oil is widely known for its medicinal properties. Eucalyptus oil is highly flammable, and fires travel easily through large plantations, especially in Australia where the weather is hot. However, reports that eucalyptus trees can spontaneously combust are untrue. Australian indigenous populations had many uses for eucalyptus trees.
They used the wood and bark to make tools, spears, shields and musical instruments. Leaves of certain species were soaked in water to make a healing tea. The Kulin people made water bowls called tarnuks from the tree.
The Murray River tribes used the bark to make canoes. Oil from the leaves of eucalyptus trees is now used all over the world for its antiseptic qualities. It's also used to help clear congestion and colds, and appears in some topical creams for arthritis and insect repellents.
Its wood is used for timber and as pulpwood for paper production.
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