N20151231-0019Eucalyptus globulusTilden Nature Area

Description:

Eucalyptus globulusTasmanian blue gum. The tree California native plant people love to hate and always a battleground between those who wish to remove it and those who consider it a part of the local landscape. There are several origin stories, depending upon the region of California for which the tales are told, about some foolish 19th century entrepreneur planting them and then abandoning the plantations from which they spread. In truth, blue gum has been planted worldwide. You can find photos of it from every locality on earth that does not experience hard freezes. The tree is found in nature in Tasmania, the Bass Strait islands, and the state of Victoria. Deserves a well-researched treatment accessible to the average reader. Photographed in Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley, CA