......Eukalyptus.....
vapman
This is what the Aussies call 'gum trees'?
en.wikipedia.org
We spell it a bit different here, more 'C's and less 'K's. The area around here is simply filthy with them. Seriously. Just after the Gold Rush in California (say 1860 or so?) some guys looking to make a killing making furniture asked for a hardwood tree that grew fast and straight. We had Redwood, and various Pines and Firs (all soft) and 'scrub Oak' (not very straight with some grain issues) so they cleverly imported some gum trees from 'down under' and planted groves of them here and there. And up they grew, fast and straight. Only the wood checked randomly when it dried, so it was unsuitable for furniture. So they abandoned them (of course) and they went feral and 'took the joint over'.
About 20 years back we had a dry spell that killed off some in the wild, causing fears of wild fires. Tax money paid for thousands and thousands of the trees to be cut down (including the occasional access roads) and hauled 50 miles or so where they were made into particle board to build houses. The board makers kindly accepted them, delivered of course.
A few years back they made another pass through the park near me, Redwood Park, named for the Coast (smaller of the two) Redwoods (many of which were pushed out by the Eucalyptus). Throughout my life it's been 'the cheap firewood'. We burn it if we're allowed fireplaces (getting rarer all the time). Half the price of Oak, slightly more than Pine or Fir. Last I knew a cord (4 foot by 4 foot by 8 foot, about 90 Cubic Feet when you take the gaps out of the rack) was $150 delivered. That's five thousand pounds, give or take. That's what a meter tall, a meter wide and 3 long? Two tons, give or take. You should move here, we literally have it to burn.
These guys are local, a real fantasy land for strange woods. You can spend hours digging around, in my youth I left some hard earned money there.
https://www.macbeath.com/about/locations/berkeley
We also have the 'right' snails to eat in our gardens as pests. The imported them to Santa Cruz (maybe 80 miles away on the coast) and found us uncivilized types weren't interested in Escargot so, once again they became an invasive species/pest. Other areas have a different snail which these guys displaced. They can wipe out your vegetable garden in a couple nights if they time it right. So we can feed you, too. Bring butter and garlic.
Regards to all.
OF