Tree of the Week: the paperbark

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Good morning, it’s a clear and beautiful one in my little corner of Los Angeles. As nice a day as it is, though, there are two words that jumped out at me from today’s Tree of the Week from Pieter Severynen. The words, sadly, are ‘highly flammable.’

The paperbark tree -- Melaleuca quinquenervia

The paperbark, also known as cajeput or punk tree, is a member of the myrtle family, which also includes eucalyptus and callistemon, or bottlebrush. Melaleuca is native to Australia, Malaysia and New Caledonia. The first thing one notices about this tree are the exfoliating layers of cream- or light brown-colored, thin papery bark, stacked like pages of a book and spongy to the touch. They are great for climbing and nail sharpening, as countless squirrels and cats have demonstrated. The tree is very popular because it looks quite attractive when young and its problems do not become visible until midlife.

Fast growing to an open-crowned, 20- to 40-foot-tall, 15- to 25-foot-wide evergreen tree with pendulous young branches, the tree carries stiff, narrow, 2- to 5-foot-long pale green leaves that are covered with silky hair when young. In summer and fall, yellowish-white, 2- to 3-foot-long flower spikes appear, followed by woody capsules filled with tiny seeds. After several years it turns out that the root flare (the thickening trunk just above the ground and roots) just doesn’t stop gaining girth and will happily overtake or obliterate any nearby vegetation or pavement. In other words, it needs a lot of room. The tree is drought-resistant but can take much water; however, given its insatiable thirst and resulting growth, it is best to keep it on a low-water diet once it has become established.

The tree was introduced in South Florida in the early 1900s for landscaping and for ‘swamp drying.’ It did the latter job well. So spectacularly well, in fact, that now it has invaded hundreds of thousands of acres within the Everglades and is considered an extremely invasive, noxious weed. Within three years after germination the tree can produce a million seeds, it is highly flammable and crowds out all other plants. In reaction to stress, including herbicides and fire, the tree aggressively spreads its seeds. It should not be planted in any moist tropical or subtropical area; it has also become an invader in Hawaii after having escaped cultivation there.

Thanks, Pieter.
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Photo Credit: Pieter Severynen