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Eucalyptus Globulus

The Eucalyptus Globulus is commonly known as Bluegum, Bluegum Eucalyptus, as well as Tasmanian Bluegum

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Growing Regions

Bluegum eucalyptus is native to Tasmania and southeastern Australia. It was introduced into California in 1856 and into Hawaii in about 1865. It has naturalized in both states [3,7]. It is a fairly common ornamental in Arizona but has not naturalized there [7]. The planted range in California extends from Humboldt County south to San Diego County, with best growth in the coastal fog belt near San Francisco. There are numerous plantings in the Central Valley from Redding south to Bakersfield and San Bernardino. Hawaii has about 12,000 acres (5,000 ha) of planted and naturalized bluegum eucalyptus, almost all of them on the islands of Hawaii and Maui [7].

     

General Information

The currently accepted scientific name of bluegum eucalyptus is Eucalyptus globulus Labill. [32]. There are four recognized subspecies and one variety that occur in California [7,22,47,49]: E. globulus ssp. bicostata Maiden E. globulus ssp. globulus E. globulus ssp. maidenii F. Muell E. globulus ssp. pseudoglobulus Naudin ex Maiden E. globulus var. compacta Labill. (dwarf bluegum) Natural or controlled hybrids of bluegum eucalyptus are known with E. blakelyi, E. botryoides, E. cinera, E. cypellocarpa, E. ovata, E. rudis, E. tereticornis (forest redgum eucalyptus), E. urnigera, and E. viminalis (manna eucalyptus) [7].

Most dense bluegum eucalyptus stands in California and Hawaii are almost
devoid of understory vegetation, except for a few hardy grasses.  In
Hawaii, firetree (Myrica faga) sometimes invades bluegum stands, and the
noxious passion fruit vine (Passiflora mollissima) has been found in
young bluegum eucalyptus coppice stands [7].

In its native habitat bluegum eucalyptus grows in pure stands and in
mixtures with many other eucalypt species.  In California, it has been
planted with forest redgum eucalyptus and river redgum eucalyptus (E.
camaldulensis).  In Hawaii, it has been planted with many other
eucalypts [7].

Much of the information presented here is attributed to:
Esser, Lora L. 1993. Eucalyptus globulus. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available at USDA Forest Service.

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