A branch of eucalyptus.

nature, trees, , ,

Today we had a sunny surprise of a break between storms, so that I could take a walk under blue skies. The rain has flooded the creek paths in my neighborhood where people like to run with their dogs, a few feet lower down than the paved path I was on; this is not uncommon in the winter season, and the creeks are maintained every couple of years to make sure that the heavier flows rushing down from the hills don’t encroach on the main paths.

I was admiring the giant eucalyptus trees along the way when I noticed a small branch from one blown down at the edge of the path. It was of a type with extra-slender leaves, and so freshly washed, I decided to bring it home where I could keep enjoying it for a while. Here are the trees from which it fell, that I craned my neck to see:

For years I’ve been planning to write a long and thorough article about the history of eucalyptus trees in California and the controversy around them, but I never get that much leisure time. I have mentioned them several times, though, over the years.

I heard that the city is planning to repave this path that has some serious bumps where tree roots have pushed it up, and that that is why they are planning to cut some big ones. I hope it’s not too many! They have been my friends for thirty-five years ❤

18 thoughts on “A branch of eucalyptus.”

  1. I love eucalyptus trees. A few grow here not too far from our home. Sometimes, in a lashing rain with wind, the scent drifts down and I am transported to the high sierra of the Andes where eucalyptus trees were imported and took hold many years ago. I’d love to know the history of how they came to be transplanted into the Americas.

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    1. I never knew they’d been imported to the Andes! I don’t remember them from my childhood, though there may have been some in that area of California. When I was in college and people I knew were beginning to drink herbal teas, one of the first ones was called “Eu-Cha-Mint,” a combination of eucalyptus, chamomile and peppermint. I kept some in my kitchen for years, but eventually decided there were much nicer teas to drink most of the time. And eucalyptus is supposed to be avoided by pregnant women.

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  2. As far as I know, eucalyptus are all indigenous to Australia. I would love to read about their introduction to your part of the world. In South Africa is was mainly for the timber industry to supply the mines as well as for wind breaks.

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    1. I just tried to comment on a WordPress blog that I’ve been reading and commenting on for years, and was told I “have to be signed in to comment.” Of course I am always signed in, so trying to follow that link led nowhere, and I am stymied. I hope they fix this soon!

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      1. If you have the time and energy for it, go to the question mark in the circle at the top of your screen, next to the notification bell. Click it, then skip everything else and go to the box at the bottom labeled “Still need help?” Put in exactly what you wrote above. Then, add that many others are having this problem, and add that the support team has been working with https://shoreacres.wordpress.com/ on two issues: “Sorry, your comment cannot be posted” and “You must be signed in to comment.” I assume they’ll be able to find the extensive discussions we had today.

        I’ll also add your comment to my discussions with the gurus. I sent them a screenshot of the weird situation: the page showed I was signed in, but told me I had to sign in to comment. I explained that many people were having the issues, but it won’t hurt for them to have another example.

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      2. You might try logging out of WP, then logging back in. Then, refresh the page you’re trying to comment on — and copy your comment before posting your reply, so if it doesn’t take the first time, you can paste and retry. It doesn’t always work, but sometimes it does, as my previous comment shows.

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  7. I used to work for a company that built their offices on property originally owned by Norton Simon. The parking lot was lined with eucalyptus. In warm weather (which was probably 10 months out of the year) their scent perfumed every worker’s walk to and from the office.

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  10. I miss eucalyptus. The sight and smell of them is one of the things I look forward to most when we visit CA. My dad planted a small grove of them in the backyard with intent to turn into firewood later, and eventually he did. Meanwhile I grew up climbing them, creating forts around them, and reading in one in particular, which had a horizontal stretch of branch just high enough to need a rope ladder to reach.

    They were notorious for creating widow makers after strong winds, though, especially as they got taller, and I wasn’t allowed to be down there until the hung up branches were removed. Ah, those were the years…

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    1. I appreciate your intimate first-hand experience with the trees – thank you very much for telling about your own personal eucalyptus ❤ Have you checked on it in recent years, and have your children sat on that branch?

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      1. Unfortunately, the last of the eucs were taken down shortly after I got married, including my precious reading tree. They were getting too tall and therefore too much risk in high winds for the house next door. Also, being closer together, a pretty decent fire hazard.

        We have two large walnut trees in our backyard, so my kiddos do know the pleasure of hanging out and reading off the ground. 🙂

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