Trees used by Monarch butterflies in California

Mark Walker MWalker at gensym.com
Thu Sep 24 13:29:58 EDT 1998


I have a question regarding the Eucalyptus trees:  I have lived in
California for most of my 39 years (save for my years in the Navy and my
years in Vermont), and most if not all of the Eucalyptus trees that I have
seen exist in very neat little rows (commonly used for wind breaks around
agricultural fields).  There's even a _grove_ of them resembling an orchard
just north of Montana de Oro in Los Osos, CA.  Most of the trees are going
on 100 years old, and are very large.

How much of a problem is this species when it comes to propagating itself?
I have no data, but it sure seems like the trees stay pretty much where they
were originally planted.

I don't mean to argue in favor of planting exotics.  I'm just curious.

Mark Walker
(back in SoCal)

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Michael Gochfeld [SMTP:gochfeld at EOHSI.RUTGERS.EDU]
> Sent:	Wednesday, September 23, 1998 6:25 PM
> To:	lday at iquest.net
> Cc:	leps-l at lists.yale.edu
> Subject:	Re: Trees used by Monarch butterflies in California
> 
> I think I go along with Liz on the Eucalypts.  I'm not against exotic
> flowers and 
> plant a variety of horticultural varieties for decoration that are of no
> apparent use 
> to butterflies, hummingbirds, or me for that matter.  But it's not clear
> why Monarchs 
> trump other creatures.  If Pacific Grove loses its Monarch Roosts we can
> all 
> sympathize. Maybe Monarchs can be trained to roost on wire lattices.  Or
> people can go 
> somewhere else to see them.  Of course, I personally don't care what they
> plant there, 
> but I would encourage them to consider the principle----the world has more
> than enough 
> Eucalyptus.
> --------------------------------------------------------
> Name: Michael Gochfeld
> E-mail: Michael Gochfeld <gochfeld at eohsi.rutgers.edu>
> UMDNJ/RWJMS and EOHSI, Piscataway, NJ
> Date: 09/23/98
> Time: 17:24:58


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