However, blue gum has naturalized (escaped from its original plantings into wild areas) in some parts of California ( Esser 1993 Ritter and Yost 2009). Herbarium collections today show blue gum occurrences in at least 23 counties ( UC Regents 2014). About 40,000 acres (> 16,000 hectares) of blue gum were planted in California between 1856 and the 1930s ( Butterfield 1935), extending from Humboldt County in the north to San Diego County in the south, with best individual growth and survival occurring in the coastal fog belt in the vicinity of San Francisco ( Burns and Honkala 1990).
(blue gum eucalyptus, hereafter “blue gum”) was the most widely planted species within the genus, and mainly occurs in grasslands and some previously forested areas. Introduced to California from Australia circa 1856 ( Esser 1993), Eucalyptus globulus Labill. Additional research on the abiotic and biotic impacts of blue gum, quantitative estimates of area covered by blue gum, and weed risk assessments that allow for region-specific climatic information and management goals to be incorporated are needed to guide management of blue gum populations.įor many Californians, eucalypts ( Eucalyptus spp.) are a valued part of the natural landscape, while for others, they are a nightmare that fueled the disastrous 1991 Oakland hills fire that claimed 25 lives ( NPS 2006). Depending on levels of invasion and rate of spread, blue gum may have negative, positive or neutral impacts on fire regimes, water and nutrient availability, understory vegetation and higher trophic levels. Due to its fast growth, large size and reproductive potential, blue gum's impacts on native vegetation, wildlife and ecosystem processes are of concern, particularly in areas with reliable year-round rainfall or fog, where it is most likely to spread. Blue gum eucalyptus ( Eucalyptus globulus) is a large tree native to Australia that was widely planted throughout California for reforestation, building and timber, but in some areas has spread beyond its planted borders and substantially altered wildlands.
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