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Blue Gum is Invasive

by Jake Sigg — published October 01, 2007

For the record, I am not one of those cited by author Bill O'Brien ("Ubiquitous Eucalyptus," July-September 2005) who "would like to see every eucalypt in the state pulled up by its roots tomorrow.  "It's a grand and beautiful tree, and I even encourage agencies such as the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department to plant the trees in cultivated areas, such as the Panhandle of Golden Gate Park, where they can be enjoyed without risk of damage to biodiversity.

But blue gum is invasive—although it spreads more slowly than some other invasive plants, like Algerian ivy, to which you compare the blue gum. Further, the ivy would not grow as quickly if not for the trees' providing the environmental conditions for it: tempering the sun's rays, protecting it from wind, condensing and dripping summer fog. In fact, these secondary effects of eucalyptus are more damaging than the primary effects.

O'Brien's article was enjoyable and informative; he attempts to provide a balanced view, but falls off balance at the end, giving the last word to Alan Kaplan, who would like to see the tree welcomed as "another naturalized citizen," ignoring its damaging effects in wildlands.

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blue gum eucalyptus | invasive species |