| Latin Name : | Eucalyptus globulus |
| English Name : | Eucalyptus Blue Gum, Tasmanian Blue Gum, Blue Gum, Australian Fevertree, oil of respiration |
| French Name : | Eucalyptus commun,Eucalyptus globuleux, gommier, gommier bleu, arbre au koala, arbre à la fièvre, huile de respiration |
| Family : | Myrtaceae |
| Origin : | Australia, Spain |
History and Origin
Native from Australia, especially from Tasmania, eucalyptus was widely planted in the subtropical areas of Asia and in the Mediterranean basin. The plant has the exceptional ability to capture water from soil in which it grows, and dries rapidly the wetlands it colonizes. This way, it eliminates the breeding grounds for insects which spread malaria, hence its name “arbre à la fièvre” or Australian fevertree. The aboriginals placed the end of a root of eucalyptus in water and the other end in a container to fill it using its pumping action effect. They were also using the leaves to treat fever and many other problems. Commercial production of eucalyptus essential oil started in 1860, in the Victoria area in Australia. Currently, Australia, Morocco, Spain and some countries of the ex-URSS are among the main producers.