Name: Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus)
Otherwise known as: Blue Gum, Fever Tree, Stringy Bark
Habitat: An evergreen tree member of the Myrtacea family growing up to 90m in dry forest areas; originally from Australasia, now found in sub-tropical areas throughout the world. The tree displays oval blue/green leaves when immature that become lance-shaped later, with clusters of fragrant cream flowers in the axils that transform into small green cones. The grey bark is sometimes covered in a white powder. All parts of the tree are poisonous.
What does it do: There are over 700 varieties of Eucalypts with 500 producing essential oils that are used in the production of cosmetics, perfumes, industrial and aromatherapy oils. The tree was brought to Europe by Baron Ferdinand von Muller, the director of the Botanical Gardens in Melbourne, who first recognised the anti-septic qualities of the extracted oil, after observing the use of eucalyptus products among the indigenous Australians.
Eucalyptus contains cineol, pinene, limonene, terpinene and a number of other constituents; these have made the oil a very popular treatment for a number of ailments such as respiratory problems like asthma, croup and bronchitis. Native Australians and Victorian herbalists used the products to treat some quite serious afflictions like malaria, typhoid and cholera, as well as using aqueous extracts to combat bacterial dysentery, tuberculosis, ringworm and hookworm. Although adopted throughout the alternative medicinal world as treatments for skin care, circulatory problems and nervous debility, it is now known that excessive topical use and internal ingestion can lead to severe toxicity and in some extreme cases, fatalities. Eucalyptus leaves and seeds if consumed by cats will lead to kidney failure resulting in death.
Eucalypts, which consume enormous quantities of water, were introduced into Cyprus by the British to drain the malarial swamps to deprive the malaria carrying Anopheles mosquito of its habitat. However, once the tree is established it can become a problem as it is a gross consumer of water, and the roots exude a toxin to prevent any competing vegetation from being established.
The insect resistant oil saturated nature of the dense wood, made eucalyptus very popular in the building and furniture industry in Cyprus.
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