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| "Can you model Eucalyptus trees?" We have been asked this several times. When we go to club shows around southern California, many modelers have asked. We have even been asked by e-mail from Australia. And each one had a very specific type of Eucalyptus in mind. Try web searching "eucalyptus trees", we believe that you will quickly see how much variety there is. Modeling these trees may be further complicated, if you want to include their flowers. We have come up with one approach, which might work. | |||
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| Looking around for a natural material to model the trunk, we found this. |
LIMONIUM
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The dried stem becomes the armature for our model eucalyptus trees. | |
Sea Lavender often naturalizes
along the southern California coast. |
Limonium perezii. (Perez’s Statice) Perennial. Zones 13, 15-17, 20-24. Often freezes in Zones 14, 18, 19. Rich green leaves up to 1 ft. long, including stalks. Summer bloom over long season. In the flowers, the calyx is rich purple and the tiny corolla white. Flower clusters may be 3 ft. tall, nearly as wide with many branched stems. |
After the flowers have gone and the stems have dried, the stems can be used to make our eucalyptus models. They are light in color, long, and with most of the branching near the tops. However, many are ruined by heavy winds and rain. But a few are complete enough to model trees. These can be found in a wide range of sizes. The foliage can be made with polyfiber and colored chopped foam. | |
So, you may want to plant your own to
have a good supply for modeling. |
They are described as a first-rate beach plant, and can be fire retardant. They tolerate heat, strong sun, and can tolerate some drought when the plants have become established. It can be damaged by 25°F temperatures, but they may survive even where it freezes out occasionally; nursery-grown seedlings develop fast. Plant early spring for summer blooms. Needs good drainage. |
 
photo quality trees © 2006 |
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