Straighten out crooked Eucs

NickfromWI

NickfromWI

Participating member
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Okay, remember that arboreally, I am new to CA.

I see a lot of trees around south CA that I simply refer to as Eucalytus. Can you all help me to be more specific?

I can think of 3 variations right off the bat. I have a photo of one. I will take more as I see them. I will put all the Euc pictures on this thread.

For ID purposes, this photo will be Euc1. Euc one seems to me to be abused in this area. They often seem like they only have foliage in the top 5-10% of the tree. Loos like they are heavily gutted/lions-tailed. It might be that they just grow that way. Also, I have a question about the bark. The ones in the pic have super smooths pale pink bark. But I've seen others that seem the same, except with exfoliating bark. Is it ludicrous to think that around here people are shaving the bark off to make them look "better." Might that be why the tree on the right has died?

No close up of the leaves right now. Sorry.

love
nick
 

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  • 14698-nk.euc1.wholetree.04.webp
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For most people in the SF Bay Area,
they are all Eucs. They get no respect.

They grow like weeds, they're non-native
and many drop limbs without warning. But
I kinda like them.

The leaves have a high phenolic acid content
and often nothing can grow underneath them.

I read there are around 500 species, many with
the common name 'Eucalyptus'.

A few common species around here are:

E. globulus (Blue Gum) listed A1,
most invasive, by Cal-IPC. Peeling
bark, mostly single straight trunk.

E. sideroxylon (Red Ironbark) deep-furrowed dark red
to black bark. Often seen in parking lots.
Don't park underneath one, they tend to drop
limbs.

E. camadulensis (River Red Gum) muscular trunks
and mottled bark. sheds.

E. citriodora (Lemon Scented Eucalyptus),
bark not fibrous/shed, which is what you might have
in the picture. They look lion-tailed but
that's the form.

E. viminalis (Eucalyptus) large single trunk. sheds.
E. cladocalyx (Sugar Gum) another lion-tailed form. sheds.
 
Ok- EUC2. Here it is. The tree doesn't grow as tall as EUC1. The bark is awesome. Super soft. Very exfoliating as you can see in the pics. If you push your finger against the bark, your finger will leave an inch-deep dent.

Ok, here's the bark.

love
nick
 

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  • 14788-nk.id8.bark1.04.webp
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Nick, that ain't a Euc, it's a paperbark. They are closely related, though. Genus is Melaleuca, I'm guessing this one is Melaleuca quinqenervia. Tea tree oil is made from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia.
 
Pierre, you are probably right. I am not familiar with which Melaleucas are grown in CA, and to be honest I have never bothered getting any of them straight anyway!

I guess that'll make it tough for me to "Straighten out crooked Eucs" /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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