Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is a tree in the Myrtle family and is originally from Australia and Tasmania (and serves as the official emblematic tree). Eucalyptus is now found in many other countries with a warm and temperate climate, especially around the Mediterranean basin. It has a straight trunk with smooth, ash grey bark with, at times, glimpses of reddish-brown wood. Eucalyptus sheds its bark every winter which allows it to grow in height and in diameter. In Australia, it has been known to reach a height of 100 meters. Its spiky grey-green leaves produce an essential oil which has been used in ancestral aboriginal medicine to help treat all sorts of conditions. In southern Europe, eucalyptus has been used for a long time to make paper. The essential oil from its leaves is used in aromatherapy to help clear respiratory passageways.