Of Australian origin, the blue gum tree was first brought to Portugal about 150 years ago, where it found a similar climate to its native land. Its growth depends on sun and water, which Portugal has plenty of, and is less dependent on soil quality, which is good because Portugal’s topsoil is thin and rocky (and not as suitable for growing annual crops, such as wheat and corn, compared to countries further north, such as the UK and Germany). It grows well in both hot weather (because its leaves turn away from the sun) and cold weather, meaning that it can be harvested in 10-12 years (as opposed to 40-100 for trees in Scandinavia).

“ITS GROWTH DEPENDS ON SUN AND WATER, WHICH PORTUGAL HAS PLENTY OF…”