Scents & Sensibility : L.A.’s fragrant ‘eucalyptus lanes’

Though later overshadowed by the ubiquitous palm, the stately eucalyptus was the tree of choice for promoting the image of a lush, exotic Southern California at the turn of the century. Imported from Australia to the Bay Area, the eucalyptus by the 1860s had found its way to the Los Angeles basin, where its image seized the imaginations of plein-air painters and orange crate designers alike. The quick-growing trees were also planted in abundance as windbreaks, which eventually grew into towering canopies over roadways. Most of these so-called eucalyptus lanes in L.A. proper have been felled--those that remain are more often found in older developments such as Rancho Palos Verdes and Hidden Hills and outlying communities such as Fillmore, Riverside and Camarillo. Yet in the heart of the city, Griffith Park offers a classic two-lane path bordered by eucalyptus: a short stretch of Crystal Springs Drive between the carousel and the zoo. This aromatic, cathedral-like tunnel of trees provides a small reminder of a greener and more leisurely L.A.