Stanford Eucalypts
Checklist of Current and Historical Plantings
Stanford has had in the past one of the most diverse collections of eucalypts in California and still has some mature specimens of very rare and unique trees. The following two tables list 134 taxa of eucalypts known to have been planted on campus. Ron Bracewell reported 94 species, subspecies, and hybrids growing on campus as of March 1980, including trees at Heliopolis, 3185 Alpine Road, his former radio astronomy research site. A number of species had been already lost in the 1972 freeze.
Ron Bracewell Memorial Grove
The Ron Bracewell Memorial Grove in the Arboretum honors Prof. Bracewell, a passionate eucalyptophile, who died on August 12, 2007, in his home on the Stanford campus. Stanford Grounds collaborated with Dr. Matt Ritter of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and Prof. Bracewell’s friends to install a grove of unusual eucalypts in the Arboretum in his memory. To visit the grove, walk north on Lasuen Street from Arboretum Road. When you are about a third of the way to El Camino Real, a path that is the main axis for the Grove appears on the right; this is the natural starting point (map pin). The path runs west–east just south of the vernal pool (the center of which is at map pin).
In August 2007 Dr. Matt Ritter provided Herb Fong with 26 trees representing 8 species for planting on campus. All should thrive in local climate conditions. All were raised from seed. Detailed below are the number of individuals, species name, source or provenance if known, and the approximate seed-planting date. For those that were collected from horticultural trees in California, progeny were checked to make sure they lacked any hybrid characteristics. Hybridization of eucalyptus in cultivation is rare in general.
In February 2008, the young trees were installed in an area south of the vernal pool on Lasuen Street. A Corymbia citriodora (syn. Eucalyptus citriodora) was also planted, one of Prof. Bracewell’s favorite eucalypts. Jean Lane honored Ron with the donation of a bench, which overlooks the pool.
Initial planting map (28 Feb 2008), prepared by Grounds Services.
Updated map (7 Jan 2025).
- 2 E. blakelyi, from seed collected from a tree at 3185 Alpine Road originally planted by Ron Bracewell, June 2006 (both present as of 1/2025).
- 3 E. crebra, from seed collected from a tree on the Stanford campus on the intersection of Palm Drive and Arboretum Rd., 5 yards off Palm Drive, June 2006 (all present as of 1/2025).
- 4 E. crenulata, from seed collected from the only tree in California on the UCSB campus, 9/9/2006 (only one remained as of 1/2025, the top half of the tree was missing). This species is endangered in the wild and very rare in California.
- 2 E. goniocalyx, from seed collected from a tree in Los Osos on Inyo Drive, 4/13/2006 (both present as of 1/2025).
- 4 E. grandis, Sheffield’s Seeds, Australia, 10/2006 (all present as of 1/2025).
- 3 E. neglecta, from seed collected from a tree in the Max Watson grove at the U.C. Santa Cruz arboretum, November 2006 (2 remain as of 1/2025).
- 3 E. nitens, Sheffield’s Seeds, Australia, 10/2006 (none present as of 4/2021).
- 4 E. punctata, from seed collected from a tree in the Vasona Lake Max Watson Grove (MR#80), June 2006 (all present as of 1/2025).
Bibliography of Stanford Eucalypts
- Bracewell, Ronald. 1971. California Report on Eucalyptus.
- Bracewell, Ronald. 2003. Eucalyptus Notes.
- Bracewell, Ronald. 1980. Eucalyptus Test Plantings that survived the December, 1972 freeze.
- Bracewell, Ronald. 2000. Eucalyptus Tour. Prepared for American Society of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta (AABGA) by Ron Bracewell, 13 October 2000.
- Bracewell, Ronald. 1970. Heliopolis (3185 Alpine Rd.) Planting Map, 1 in 1200, 23 July 1970. 1 map sheet.
- Bracewell, Ronald. 1970–2006. Heliopolis (3185 Alpine Rd.) Planting map and list. Ron Bracewell’s tree location map and planting and survival record of Eucalypts planted at his research site. 1970. Rev. 31 Jan. 2001; Rev. 2006.
- Douglas, Thomas H. 1889–1991. Daily Journals. SC 195, SUA.
- Friedman, Roberta. 1988. Strangers in Our Midst. Pacific Discovery Summer: 24–30. Author quotes Ron Bracewell.
- Rawlings, John. 2007. Eucalyptus checklist.
- Rawlings, John. 2008. Eucalyptus Dreams bike tour.
- Ritter, Matt. 2006. List of [eucalypt] species growing (or grown at one time) in California.
- Ritter, Matt. May, 2006. Stanford Eucalyptus Report.
Eucalypts in California
- Cooper, Ellwood. 1876. Forest Culture and Eucalyptus Trees. Cubery.
- Dockter, Dave, et al. 1964–2005. Max Watson’s Vasona Eucalyptus Grove.
- Dahlsten, D.L. et al. 2005. Imported parasitic wasp helps control red gum psyllid.
- Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve. Coastal Training Program; California Invasive Plant Council. June 3, 2004. Ecology and Impacts of Blue Gum Eucalyptus in Coastal California.
- Friedman, Roberta. 1988. Strangers in Our Midst. Pacific Discovery Summer: 24–30.
- Kinney, Abbot. 1895. Eucalyptus. B. R. Baumgardt. “No forests, no farms.”
- Ritter, M. 2006. List of species growing (or grown at one time) in California.
- Ritter, M and Jenn Yost. 2009. Diversity, Reproduction, and Potential for Invasiveness of Eucalyptus in California . Madroño. Vol. 56, No. 3: 155–167.
- Santos, Robert L. 1997. The Eucalypts of California: Seeds of Good or Seeds of Evil? Alley-Cass Publications.
- Simmons, Walt. 1998. Familiar Strangers. Salmo Gardneri Publications.
- Suddjian, David. 2004. Birds and Eucalyptus on the Central California Coast: A Love – Hate Relationship. David L. Suddjian Biological Consulting Services. A paper presented at Ecology and Impacts of Blue Gum Eucalyptus in Coastal California, June 3, 2004.
- Tyrrell, Ian. 2001. Peripheral Visions: Californian-Australian Environmental Contacts, c. 1850s–1910. In McNeill, JR, ed. Environmental History in the Pacific World. Ashgate.
- Tyrrell, Ian. 1999. True gardens of the gods: Californian-Australian environmental reform, 1860–1930. Berkeley: University of California Press.
- Walther, E. 1928. A key to the species of Eucalyptus in California. Proceedings
of the California Academy of Sciences XVII: 67–87.
Eucalypts Present 5/2006–12/2006
Key to tables:
* = Thomas Douglas reported planted this species in the Arboretum 1888–1891
+ = Known only from 3185 Alpine Rd
(number) = height in feet as of 1980
MR = Verified by Dr. Matt Ritter
| Present 01/31/01 | Present 5/06–12/06 | AABGA tour | Survived 1972 freeze, 3185 Alpine Rd. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| acaciiformis | YES+ [unnum.-NW] | YES+/MR | y (20) | |
| aggregata | YES | YES/MR | y (40) | |
| albens | YES [lost before 5/03] | ? —may be stump sprouting | y | |
| albida | YES+ [nnn-NW] | YES+/MR | ||
| blakelyi | YES+ [258-NW] | YES+/MR | ||
| botryoides | YES | YES/MR | y | |
| bridgesiana | YES | YES/MR | y (20) | |
| caesia | YES+ [169-NE] | ? | y (5) | |
| camaldulensis | YES * | YES/MR | y | y (30) |
| cinerea | YES | YES | y | y (10) |
| citriodora | YES | YES/MR | y | |
| cladocalyx | YES * | YES/MR | y (25) | |
| conferruminata | YES | YES/MR | ||
| cornuta | YES | NO | y | |
| crebra | YES | YES/MR | ||
| crenulata | 4 trees, planted 2/11/2008. UCSB Seed | Bracewell grove near vernal pool in Arboretum off Lasuen | ||
| cypellocarpa | YES+ [2019-NW] | ? | y (30) | |
| diversicolor | YES | YES | ||
| dundasii | YES | YES/MR | ||
| dwyeri | YES [but lost before 5/05] | NO | y | |
| erythronema | YES | YES/MR | ||
| ficifolia | YES | YES | y (7) | |
| globulus | YES | YES | y (50) | |
| g. var compacta | YES | |||
| goniocalyx | YES | YES/MR | ||
| grandis | 4 trees, planted 2/11/2008. Sheffield Seeds Australia | Bracewell grove near vernal pool in Arboretum off Lasuen | ||
| gunnii | YES | YES/MR | y (35) | |
| intertexta | YES | YES/MR | ||
| kruseana | YES | YES/MR | ||
| lehmannii | YES | YES/MR | ||
| leucoxylon | YES | YES/MR | y | y (35) |
| linearis (pulchella) | YES | YES/MR | y (30) | |
| loxophleba | YES+ [230-NW] | ? | ||
| macrandra | YES | YES/MR | y | y (15) |
| mannifera (maculosa) | YES | YES/MR | y | |
| megacornuta | YES | YES/MR | ||
| melliodora | YES | YES/MR | y (25) | |
| morrisbyi | YES+ [148,166,168-NE] | ? | y (25) | |
| neglecta | 3 trees, planted 2/11/2008. | Ron Bracewell grove near vernal pool in Arboretum off Lasuen | ||
| nicholii | YES | YES/MR | y (30) | |
| nitens | 3 trees, planted 2/11/2008. Sheffield Seeds Australia | Ron Bracewell grove near vernal pool in Arboretum off Lasuen | ||
| ochrophloia | YES+ [2017-NW; 311-SW] | ? | y (15) | |
| oleosa | YES | YES/MR | ||
| paniculata | YES | YES/MR | ||
| parvula (parviflora) | YES | YES/MR | y (30) | |
| patens | YES | YES | ||
| pauciflora | YES+ [2016-NW: 1014-NE] | ? | y (25) | |
| pellita | YES | YES/MR | y (20) | |
| platypus | YES | YES/MR | y | |
| polyanthemos | YES * | YES/MR | y | y (20) |
| pulchella | YES | YES/MR | y (30) | |
| pulverulenta | YES | YES/MR | y | y (15) |
| punctata | YES | YES/MR | ||
| redunca | YES | YES/MR | y | |
| resinifera | YES | YES/MR | ||
| robusta | YES | YES/MR | y (20) | |
| rudis | YES | YES/MR | ||
| salubris | YES | YES/MR | ||
| sideroxylon | YES | YES/MR | y | |
| squamosa | YES+ [279-NW] | ? | y (30) | |
| stellulata | YES+ [279;2013-NW] [424,425-SE] | ? | y (20) | |
| urnigera | YES+ [1090-NE] | ? | y (30) | |
| viminalis | YES * | YES/MR | y (30) | |
| viridis | YES | YES/MR |
Eucalypts Lost
| present 9/2004 | AABGA tour | Survived 1972 freeze, 3185 Alpine Rd. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| albens | NO [lost before 5/03] | y | y |
| alpina | NO+ | ||
| amygdalina | NO+ | ||
| amplifolia | NO+ | y (20) | |
| angophoroides | NO+ | y (25) | |
| angulosa | NO+ | ||
| annulata | NO+ | ||
| astringens | NO+ | ||
| burdettiana | NO+ | y (25) | |
| burracoppinensis | NO+ | ||
| calycogona | NO+ | y (5) | |
| campanulata | NO+ | ||
| clelandii | NO+ | ||
| coccifera | NO+ | ||
| compacta | NO | ||
| conglobata | NO+ | ||
| cornuta | YES [lost before 5/05] | y | |
| cosmophylla | NO+ | y (10) | |
| cypellocarpa | NO+ [2019-NW] | y | |
| dalrympleana | NO+ | ||
| desmondensis | NO+ | ||
| dielsii | NO+ | ||
| diptera | NO+ | y (5) | |
| dwyeri | YES [but lost before 5/05] | y | |
| ebanoensis | NO+ | ||
| eremophila | NO+ | ||
| erythrandra | NO+ | ||
| erythrocorys | NO+ | ||
| eugenioides | NO+ | ||
| eximia | NO+ | ||
| exserta | NO+ | ||
| flocktoniae | NO+ | ||
| forrestiana | NO+ | ||
| froggattii | NO+ | y (20) | |
| gillii | NO+ | ||
| globoidea | NO+ | ||
| gomphocephala | NO * + | y (15) | |
| grandis | NO+ | ||
| grossa | NO+ | ||
| gummifera | NO+ | ||
| kingsmillii | NO+ | y (5) | |
| kitsoniana | NO+ | y (25) | |
| laeliae | NO | ||
| lansdowneana | NO+ | y (25) | |
| ligistrina | NO+ | ||
| macarthurii | ? | ||
| macrocarpa | NO+ | ||
| maculata | ? | y (10) | |
| maidenii | NO+ | ||
| microcarpa | NO+ | y (7) | |
| niphophila | NO+ | y (10) | |
| nortonii | NO+ | y (18) | |
| nutans | NO+ | ||
| obliqua * | NO | ||
| occidentalis | NO+ | y (20) | |
| ovata | NO+ | ||
| oxymitra | NO+ | ||
| pauciflora | ?+ [2016-NW: 1014-NE] | y (25) | |
| perriniana | NO+ | ||
| preissiana | NO+ | ||
| pruinosa | NO+ | ||
| pyriformis | NO+ | ||
| racemosa | NO+ | y (12) | |
| saligna | NO+ | ||
| salmonophloia | NO+ | ||
| sepulcralis | NO+ | ||
| similis | NO+ | ||
| spathulata | NO+ | ||
| stricklandii | NO+ | y (12) | |
| stowardii | NO+ | ||
| tetraptera | NO+ | ||
| tinghaensis | NO+ | y (8) | |
| torquata | NO+ | ||
| torwood | NO+ | ||
| uncinata | NO+ | ||
| woodwardii | NO+ |
About this Entry: Authored and updated 2005–2010 by John Rawlings. Bracewell Grove section updated with results of 2021 and Jan 2025 survey (Jan 2025, SP).
