Orange County has removed 137 blue gum eucalyptus trees after the Sept. 15 death of Haeyoon Miller. Local arborists and tree care specialists said blue gums were not meant to live in Southern California and are failing.

Miller, 29, was driving on Irvine Avenue when a 10-ton blue gum eucalyptus in the median fell on her car, killing her.

Costa Mesa resident and tree care specialist Jessica Vance visited the scene the day after the accident.

“It’s actually really scary,” Vance said. “I’d like to see [the county] actually take a more aggressive approach to the care of the trees. These trees were never designed to be in Southern California. It was known for a long time.”

Newport Beach officials reacted quickly, having the 104 remaining eucalyptus trees on the median removed.

Upon inspection, 34 blue gums in Corona del Mar were found to be dangerous and scheduled to be removed. Before they could be removed, one fell during an Oct. 5 rainstorm.

On Oct. 17, crews removed the 33 remaining blue gums on Fourth Avenue in Corona del Mar.

“There’s probably some pressures at play from the city and the folks that live here but I understand it,” said Fourth Avenue resident Bobby Barzi. “I don’t necessarily fully care for the fact that they had to get rid of the trees but obviously with children playing around here, having a tree fall on anyone is not a good idea.”

Blue gum eucalyptus trees are native to Australia and require a lot of water.  

“I personally didn’t inspect the trees myself,” said Patricia Gruett, president of Gruett Tree Company in Santa Ana. “But based on what I’ve seen when I’m out in the area consulting, most of these eucalyptus trees are diseased, or they’re weak. We don’t have the resources for them. These trees require an immense amount of water to be very healthy.”

According to Gruett, eucalyptus trees tend to bend and flex, making them more susceptible to breaking. Eucalyptus leaves contain a lot of oil, leaving a film on soil when its leaves fall. The soil becomes hydrophobic.

“So we have a tree that is trying to suck up water and nutrients but it’s having a difficult time because our soils here are not the best,” Gruett said. “And most soils in an urban forest are compacted.”

Weak eucalyptus trees release a scent that attracts pests, Gruett said. The primary pests are the long horn beetle and tortoise beetle. The beetles burrow into the trees’  vascular system, lay eggs and leave. The eggs then gain access to the tree’s water that the tree is attempting to suck up. The tree’s foliage falls off and many people react by overwatering their eucalyptus.

“[The tree is] trying to suck up the nutrients but she can’t get them out,” she said. “At the same time, she’s being attacked by the tortoise beetle or the long horn beetle. You end up with a tree that’s essentially silently dying. And if this tree, this big beast, is sitting there silently dying, then we have a silent killer because they decay from the interior.”

Gruett advised people who have a blue gum eucalyptus on their property to inspect leaves for chew marks, the signature of tortoise beetles. Also, check the bark for any small holes where a beetle may have burrowed in and laid eggs. Look for larvae, dead beetles, discoloration and open wounds. The beetles typically leave for the winter season. Trees with conks or mushrooms on or around the tree should be removed.

“A conk or a mushroom is equivalent to pus coming out of you or I,” Gruett said.

To maintain a blue gum, she said there must be aeration in the soil and smaller plants around the tree should be removed to eliminate competition for water. She also advised the trees be watered in the early morning for 15 minutes, once every other week.

“The truth is on these blue gum eucalyptus, at this cycle we’re at, I don’t recommend my clients keep them,” Gruett said. “While in a natural forest setting, these trees would live to be hundreds and hundreds of years old. We just don’t have those requirements for them in an urban setting.”

 

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Reach assistant news editor Agnus-Dei Farrant here.