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Comment by hodgesrm | Hacker News Reader

> The eucalyptus trees they imported from Australia have had the terrible affect of making wildfires in California even worse.

I watched the eucalyptus stands burning in the Oakland Hills fire. They go up like torches. I've never understood the rationale for keeping them. Owls really like them though.

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Monarch butterflies in California need eucalyptus trees for their winter roost

https://milliontrees.me/2013/11/01/monarch-butterflies-in-ca...

How, I mean, eucalyptus is not native to California? Did they recently adapt?

It does say in the article that 20% nest in the pine and 16% in cypress trees.

> His theory is that the agricultural practices of early settlers, which cleared trees, created a population explosion of the milkweed that is the host plant of monarchs. More milkweeds resulted in more monarchs and monarchs began to migrate in response to population pressure, he believes.

So it sounds like it was all pine in that area, deforestation created an environment for monarchs, and they moved in. Monarchs are not native to the area, so I'm not sure that they can be used as a defence to keep all the eucalyptus.

> Owls really like them though.

There's your rationale. Owls are cool.

Much as I dislike Eucalyptus trees, every owl calling from a Eucalyptus is a vote to keep them.

I don't think there's much of a rationale; nobody I knew in CA liked eucalyptus trees, they just are everywhere. I had heard they wanted to make railroad ties from them.

Correct on the railroad ties. Well until they realised how long they take to grow properly so it didnt work out.

https://www.independent.com/2011/01/15/how-eucalyptus-came-c...

I really, I mean really, really like the slender ones with the almost white bark, and the limbs that branch off with the skin-like wrinkles on their undersides. The trunks and lower limbs remind me of the human form. And I like the broccoli-like crests of leaves, that while poor at providing shade, are just so doggone stylish.

There are other Eucalyptus trees that are massive and perhaps less attractive, that I still find awe inspiring because of their massive size.

I did not know that they were such a problem in wildfires, despite being born in and living nearly the whole of my life in Southern California. You learn something every day.

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