RE: Best Variety of Eucalyptus or some other fast growing evergreen tree ?

Linda:
We have a lot of acacias in the Arboretum at UC Davis, and though they are
often blamed for hayfever, they are usually only blooming at the same time.
Because they are big and yellow, they get the credit for the misery.  Here
is an article snippet that explains.
"Acacias are much maligned as far as allergies go and one often gets the
impression that they are a major cause of hay fever. Unfortunately it is
estimated that only about 5% of the population are sensitive to Acacia
pollen but this is much less than the percentage allergic to grass pollen
and when both acacias and grasses flower together (as is often the case) the
acacias are blamed for hay fever. Severe reactions to Acacia pollen have not
been recorded. This data is from a 1996 letter from the Deputy Director of
Health Services in Queensland

I know this sounds mundane, but have you considered a nice hedge of
Photinia fraseri?  It grows fast, dense, flowers and has nice red juvenile
foliage.  It grows quite tall, doesn't really need to be pruned, but can be,
and is quite drought tolerant once established.  It is used all the time for
wind breaks around the ball fields here in the northern foothills.  It is
inexpensive and easy to find.  What's not to like?

Karrie Reid
Folsom Foothill Gardener
Zone 9

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-medit-plants@ucdavis.edu [o*@ucdavis.edu]
On Behalf Of Linda - The Lavender Lady
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 11:18 AM
To: david feix; pkssreid@comcast.net; medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
Subject: Re: Best Variety of Eucalyptus or some other fast growing evergreen
tree ?

David, thank you for all your suggestions.  Do acacia cause hayfever?  I 
love the look of them and hadn't even thought of them.  They will be planted

a distance from the house and down wind from us, but my DH does get hayfever

occasionally.

I was just reading that E. nicholii is subject to windthrow and was 
wondering what that was, till I got the description, Karrie, of your tree. 
We can get some very strong winds here - I will have to rule this one out. 
Thank you for sharing - your description was very helpful to me.

I remember seeing a mature E. sideroxylon when I took plant id and I recall 
liking the bark.  Now that I am thinking about it though - most Eucalyptus 
may be too sparse or tall to act as a screen the future home on that piece 
of land - I need something that is tall but also has leaves near the bottom 
too.  I have two E. polyanthemos but  their canopy seems sparse so far.  I 
have three clumping bamboo and water them once a week now that they are 
established but they are in a grassy area.  I am not sure a bamboo look 
would be good for that area (and the children nearby might find them 
attractive to cut down - since they will be on the outside of our fence).  I

find most bamboo of any size are rather expensive in the nursery.  I do have

one pepper tree planted at the top of the run and it has grown rather 
quickly from a one gallon size - it is now 7 feet tall and the same size 
around - it gets kind of sparse looking in the winter though.

I think the acacia might be a better choice.  They look like they are 
stronger in the limbs and I have seen Acacia baileyana growing on several 
other properties around here in dryer conditions.   I just read that A. 
melanoxylon needs organic matter and moisture compared to other acacia, so I

might look for baileyana.  It should be readily available in quantity.

Thanks again David.

Linda
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