She said planting a tree is an investment in the future of your home and the environment. And it's not a task you have to take on alone.

Eucalyptus, impregnated with flammable oil, don’t just burn; they explode, spewing firebrands hundreds of feet. Long, peeling bark is designed to carry flames to crowns.

Pictured is the Balboa Branch Library, along with the eucalyptus tree, left, in question. The library was built in 1929 and was expanded in 1952 and 1962 to its current size.

Also called blue gum, eucalyptus is a fast-growing tree native to Tasmania, an island state south of the Australian mainland. During the California Gold Rush of the 1800s, they were planted for ...

In California, the eucalyptus tree has been naturalized, meaning it now grows beyond the places it was planted. Firefighters try to extinguish a wildfire in Albergaria-a-Velha on September 16.

May 05, 2004 Back to the table of Contents Page Classifieds Palo Alto Online Publication Date: Wednesday, May 05, 2004 Guest Opinion: The Arastradero Preserve eucalyptus: great tree or giant weed?