June 13, 2013

Eucalyptus stumps on the hill


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

With overcast sky, snagging photos on Tuesday morning seemed like an unlikely proposition, but I just never know. So, while huffing and puffing my way to the top of the steep ridge that separates China Camp from Peacock Gap I was pretty sure I could save-the-day with the stumps that have been drying in the sun and "artfully" cracking for the past 20 years.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Oh, Australia's gift to America; the lowly Eucalyptus tree... Okay, it grows fast, straight and tall, but comes with a bad reputation for being a major fire hazard in urban areas. It also makes poor lumber because of splitting, is messy, and excludes most other plants from growing nearby.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

But it does make good windbreaks--early in the last century California farmers planted rows of Eucalyptus along the windward edges of their fields. The pungent seeds can be fashioned into a necklace for dogs to ward off fleas--I had a friend who used to do that for her dog. Checking the internet here, the sellers of Eucalyptus Oil claim it to have the following beneficial properties; analgesic, antibacterial, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, insecticidal, and as an expectorant.


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1 comment:

John @ Beans and I on the Loose said...

They smell nice too.

 
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