Trees

Eucalyptus

There is only one Eucalyptus tree on our land, and it is by far the tallest tree of all. It stands proudly, reaching probably about 20 meters of height. The Eucalyptus is not a native tree of Portugal, it has been introduced and now covers thousands of square kilometers in the country. In our area, there are not so many. We do not see entire Eucalyptus forests, but there a few here and there, mixing pretty well with the other trees. Unfortunately, this tree has a lot of downsides : it is highly inflammable, it makes the soil less rich and fertile, and it is not that great for wildlife as the local insects and birds are not used to it. These issues occurs mainly where the Eucalyptus becomes the main species of an area. When there is just one or a couple of them, you realize it is a beautiful tree. Here on our land we know at least that the Golden Oriole seems to like it, as it often sings from it. We are really curious to see how other animals are taking advantage of it.