Interesting Facts about Eucalyptus
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Around 1872, a mountain ash tree (E. regnans) was felled that measured 132.5 meters tall, rivaling
even the North American
redwoods.
(Photo: Ang Wickham, New Zealand)
·
Some species of
Eucalyptus grown in Kenya spring up faster than even the grasses
growing in the estuaries.
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Eucalytpus macrorhyncha, the red stringybark, has leaves that contain the compound
rutin, which is used medicinally for strengthening the walls of
blood vessels.
·
In several California towns of the late nineteenth
century, eucalyptus trees were planted to help fight the spread of
malaria. The trees’
roots absorbed much of the ground water, removing breeding sites for
mosquitoes, and their clean aroma helped repel the insects.
·
Eucalyptus wood is just as tough as
hickory wood.
·
The lateral roots of a single eucalyptus tree can
spread out to one hundred feet.
·
Honey collected from bees that forage on eucalyptus
flowers has a distinct (and many say undesirable) peppermint taste.
·
In the late 1800s, eucalyptus leaves were sometimes
brewed in hot water, and the liquid was used to clean the inside of
boilers.
·
The trees of the
Eucalyptus genus (see
Classification page) can be divided into six groups based on their
bark: peppermints with fibrous bark, stringybarks with stringier
fibers, boxes with a rougher bark, bloodwoods with scaly bark,
ironwoods with very hard bark, and gums with smooth bark.