Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, July 1, 2023

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Mountain View News Saturday, July 1, 2023 

Terrific 
“TESSIE”

Are you looking 
for a furry companion 
to keep 
you company 
and love you unconditionally? 
Look no further 
than Tessie, a black & white longhair girl, 
born 2013! 

This sweet and affectionate kitty has been 
pa-tiently waiting for her furever home. With 
her soft fur and gentle purr, she will make the 
purrfect addition to any family. Don't wait, 
apply for Tessie today and give her the loving 
home she deserves! PLEASE submit our 
adoption application and come and meet her. 
As the song from Cats says, “If you touch me, 
you’ll understand what happiness is.” Don't 

you just want to run your fingers through 
that beautiful fur? Find her at www.lifelineforpets.
org, on the Adult Cats page. 


CHRISTOPHER Nyerges [www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com]


THE EUCALYPTUS TREE:

AUSTRALIA’S MOST DOMINANT TREE 
HAS NOW NATURALIZEDIN PARTS OF 
THE UNITED STATES

Nyerges is the author of “How 
to Survive Anywhere,” and an 
outdoor instructor. For more 
information, contact him at 
www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com or at Box 41834, Eagle 
Rock, CA 90041



The Eucalypti are the most dominant tree 
of the Australian landscape, with approximately 
550 species known as ironwoods, 
gumwoods, and mallees. They are also one 
of the most common introduced trees in 
Southern California and Arizona. 

They were originally brought into Southern 
California about 150 years ago, in the belief 
that this quick-growing tree would be 
a good timber tree for railroads and other 
building applications. This proved not to be 
the case, as the twisting grain of eucalyptus 
made it unsuitable for most building projects. 
Nevertheless, this beauti-ful, fragrant, 
and largely pest-resistant tree caught on as a 
garden, park, and street tree in California, 
Arizona, and throughout the southern U.S. 
all the way to Florida where the climate is 
moderate.

Eucalyptus is generally thought of as a 
medicinal tree rather than a food-source, 
though there are a few foods available from 
the plant. Perhaps the most interesting is 
a common bug that 
is seen on the leaves, 
appear-ing as small 
white bumps. This 
is actually a psyllid, a 
small scale-like creature 
that Aboriginal 
children in Aus-tralia 
would scrape off 
the leaves with their 
teeth to get a good 
sugar source.

At my field trips, we 
have participants 
pick off the leaves 
and chew the white 
sweet bugs. A few 
people refuse to do 
so, but this is really 
one of the most 
pleasant ways to “eat 
bugs.” You can also 
put a psyllid-infested eucalyptus leaf into a 
cup of hot water, and end up with sweetened 
eucalyptus tea.

In fact, a tea from the leaves of any eucalyptus 
species (with or without the psyllids) can 
be infused and used as a pleasant beverage. 

The roots of several Eucalyptus species 
were dried, powdered, and used as food in 
Australia. The best are said to be E. caesia, 
E. dumosa, and E. gracilis. The finely 
powdered seeds of one mallee, E. microtheca, 
have been reportedly used for food.

In Australia, the eucalyptus provides nectar 
and pollen to bees, who in turn provide 
honey and bees-wax. Beehives that I've kept 
near a Eucalyptus grove in my Los Angeles 
back yard have produced a honey as dark as 
molasses and extremely fragrant. I use this 
honey as a medicine as much as a sweetener, 
and find that if I have a cold or sore throat, 
I feel much better after using this honey in 
my drinks.

The young fruits can be sucked for sore 
throats. According to Alma R. Hutchens, 
author of Indian Herbology of North 
America, "Among the diseases in which it is 
employed are croup, diphtheria, bronchitis, 
asthma, piles, neuralgia, malarial diseases, 
catarrh, in subacute or chronic inflammation 
of the urinary organs, ulcers and sores. 
It has proven an effective remedy in some 
cases of rheumatism. For some, the mode 
of using it in asthma is to smoke the dried 
leaves." (I’ve never tried this last use).

 The tea of eucalyptus leaves, well 
known for its efficacy in dealing with sinus 
congestion, also has suffi-cient antiseptic 
properties that it can be used to clean 
wounds. In fact, though there are many 
species of eucalyp-tus with many distinct 
uses throughout Australia, the two primary 
uses for eucalyptus are the tea from the 
leaves for all breathing-related problems, 
and a tea from the bark used to wash and 
disinfect wounds.

 I have boiled eucalyptus leaves on 
many occasions and inhaled the steam to 
help with sinus congestion. I usually drink 
a little of the strong broth as well.

Eucalyptus oil (obtained from the leaves by 
distillation) is rich in the therapeutic agent 
cineole. Cineole is used as an active ingredient 
in inhalants, gargles, lozenges, etc., because 
it has a pleasant odor and is efficient 
in killing bacteria. Rutin, used medicinally 
for diabetes and high blood pressure, occurs 
in the leaves of some eucalyptus. You have 
consumed this anytime you’ve had eucalyptus 
cough drops (by whatever name).

We have taken the caps off some of the 
smaller capsules, and used the powdered insides 
(which consist-ed mostly of stamens) 
as a first aid remedy for cuts. In all cases, 
this resulted in rapid healing and very little 
scarring. We suggest that the smaller, unopened 
capsules be included in first aid kits.

The variously scented eucalyptus leaves 
(peppermint, lemon, medicinal, etc.) tend 
to repel insects. A necklace of young fruits 
is used as a safe flea repellent for cats and 
dogs.

Whole books have been written on the 
many uses of this valuable plant. We've 
only scratched the sur-face here. One good 
book for further information is Bush Food: 
Aboriginal Food and Herbal Medicine by 
Jennifer Isaacs Lansdowne Publishing Pty. 
Ltd., Sydney, 1987).



It is also more difficult to garden or farm 
under the areas where eucalypti are growing. 
Your garden plants will produce smaller 
fruit or tubers, and the plants will require 
more fertilizer. This is the result of the dispersion 
of the various eucalyptus oils into 
the soil.

Native to Australia, there are about 90 varieties 
which have naturalized in California 
and Arizona, and beyond those areas.



SOURCE OF LEAVES FOR TEA: Urban 
farmer Julie Balaa of WTI Farms sells packages 
of the dried euca-lyptus leaves which 
can be used for tea. It comes with instructions. 
One package is $10, from WTI, 5835 
Burwood Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90042.

Or email Balaa at juliebalaa@gmail.com.

Pet of the Week

 
Lovely Alice is an incredibly shy 3-year-old Siberian Husky mix. 
Her heartbreaking shyness often results in her being too nervous to 
even go up a staircase, and sometimes meeting new people is just too 
much. 

 It's a very different story when she sees the many people with whom 
she has become comfortable at Pasadena Humane. They make her 
shyness just disappear as she turns into a wiggly girl who is ready for 
almost anything (just not the stairs...yet!). She likes going on walks, 
playing in the yard with toys and just a little bit of snuggling. 

 Alice has lived with another dog, so having a confident but gentle 
buddy might help thaw the ice even more for her.

 She will do best in a patient home that will allow her some time and 
space to blossom into the wonderful dog we have seen in glimpses. 
Alice is truly a diamond in the rough and will make a lovely addition 
to someone's home!

 The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptions include spay or 
neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate vaccines. 

 New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness 
exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care 
for your pet. 

 View photos of adoptable pets and schedule an adoption appointment at pasadenahumane.org. 
Adoptions are by appointment only, and new adoption appointments are available every Sunday and 
Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. 

 Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or 
email.


KEEP YOUR PETS SAFE ON THE FOURTH OF JULY

Although the Fourth of July is a time of festivities for some, for our pets, it can be a huge 
source of stress. Many frightened pets go missing during the Fourth of July holiday, making 
it one of the busiest times of year for animal shelters. It’s important to take extra precautions 
to keep your pets safe and calm on the Fourth. 

As a safety precaution, make sure your pet is wearing a collar with a visible ID tag. Most 
pets are found very close to where they live, and your pet’s ID tag will help your neighbor 
reunite you with your pet more quickly. It’s also important that your pet is microchipped 
as a second form of identification. Double check that your pet’s ID tag and microchip are 
up-to-date with your current contact information.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com