Re: Eucalyptus Trees: Good or Bad?
Barry Garcia wrote:
>
> sals@rain.org writes:
> >we just had a big Eucalyptus blue gum i think fall over because of the wet
> >ground. it was big and boy did it fall. the roots just came out of the
> >ground. i have heard this happens a lot. a big big tree for no reason
> >just
> >fall out of the ground.. I wonder if Eucalyptus are prone to this?
>
We had E viminalis blow over in three consecutive winters, it seems they
just grow too fast for their roots, so we chopped off the tops, pushed
them upright again and now they are fine, about thirty feet tall and
magnificent. Homesick Australians visiting the nursery see them and
burst into tears. Ironically we planted them (the eucs, not the
Australians) to soak up the surplus wet here but with their funny little
roots this seems a forlorn hope. Yes, they shed branches and bark (which
we well for Christmas decorations and aromatic fire wood in the local
farmers markets, anything to scrape a living !) Their leaves refuse to
rot and go brown in the icy winds but they hide the wretched
neighbours. I love them.
Anthony
