A Tree Story

The Australian mountain ash tree (Eucalyptus regnans), also known as swamp gum or stringy gum, lives down under most of us on the other side of the world. Oh, there are many others who live on that continent, but this story is not about any of them—sorry—it is about the mountain ash tree. One of the words in its name is surely foreboding. The fire had gone back to hell, leaving only ash, also in the form of cinders, embers, and clinker.

Eucalyptus is a genus that contains more than seven hundred species of shrubs, flowering plants, and trees. I love trees. I will not stop repeating it. Does anyone hate them? Some must given the trees’ precarious existence. Even though they have different genus names, eucalyptus is often referred to as eucalypt in European nations. They seem to have disposed of the “us” to perhaps indicate their superiority over any tree and especially one from down under. How rude of them! How European!

The plants that belong to this genus have a smooth, hard, stringy or fibrous bark—oh my—leaves that have oil glands—go on—and petals and sepals—I need to stop for a short time. You will not notice it. The fruit that grows on this fine species is referred to as a gumnut because it is shaped like a woody capsule. Gumnut? A nut that can be chewed? It is also the name of a plant in the game, Plants Versus Zombies 2.

Eucalyptus trees are native to Australia and because wildfires are common, although not as bad as the last one, these trees can survive fire. So, they can even survive fire but not humans. Also, if the tree gets damaged because of a fire, it can re-sprout and live again. What a tree! It was planted in many countries to dry mosquito- and thus malaria-infested swamps. The tree species that are grown in these other countries are known to be fast growing with valuable timber used for honey, essential oils, and freaking pulpwood. How quaint!

The mountain ash eucalyptus is the tallest of the eucalyptus family, with old growth groves growing to be over one hundred metres (330 feet) tall, which makes them the tallest life forms on the planet. They can grow to be upwards of 500 years of age, and are an important habitat and source of food for many other animal species. Yet, we dispose of them like trash. Save a tree today!

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I Am a Tree: Another Wood Story

My fellow trees call me Tall

It’s true that I’m the tallest one

around our neck of the woods

but only by a metre or a yard

I love the Sun our God

and the sky its domain

Most animals are friendly to us

but there is one creature however

that frightens us to perdition

We call this animal the Tree Killer

We haven’t done anything to anyone

We all provide breathing air

shade for when it’s hot

shelter to some creatures

and some of us offer tasty fruits

We can live forever

poetically of course

But some of us have been here

even before Cleopatra or Moses

We are good souls in our nature

yet our bodies are cut down

and used for who knows what

We pray to the Sun every day

but our God has no powers

only giving us the heat that we need

so as to live and become fruitful

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Ikea: Tree-Meat Hell

Fuck Ikea too!

How many trees did it kill?

Too many to count.