Did you know that some of Europe’s tallest eucalyptus trees — and among the tallest in Spain — are not a native of the Iberian Peninsula at all but instead come from Tasmania, Australia. Known locally as O Avó, or “the grandfather,” the tallest of these is a towering 67‑metre Eucalyptus globulus, which rises from the heart of the Souto da Retorta, a lush riverside forest near Viveiro in Galicia’s far north.
O Avó is a Tasmanian blue gum, a species native to Australia’s cool, windswept southern coasts. Yet here it stands, older than almost all local buildings and taller than any other tree in the region. Its journey to Spain began in the mid‑19th century, when a Galician priest returned from missionary work in Tasmania carrying seeds of Eucalyptus globulus. According to the Galician government archives, those early plantings marked the beginning of a transformation that would reshape the forests of northern Spain.
Forestry accounts — including those compiled by Maderera Frouxeira — describe how the species thrived almost immediately. Galicia’s cool, humid, oceanic climate proved ideal for the fast‑growing blue gum, and landowners quickly recognised its potential. And by the late 1800s, eucalyptus was being planted to reclaim soggy lowlands, including the waterlogged banks of the Landro River. That’s where O Avó, which was planted in 1880, comes from, as part of those efforts. Its rapid growth and enormous water uptake made it a natural tool for drying out difficult terrain.
By the early 20th century, the Eucalyptus globulus tree species had become central to northern Spain’s emerging pulp and paper industry. Its straight form, fast rotation and fibre characteristics made it a commercial powerhouse, and plantations expanded rapidly across Galicia and Asturias. But even as millions of blue gums were planted, none matched the stature or mystique of O Avó.
And with a trunk more than eight metres around and a crown that disappears into the mist, the tree has become a national landmark. Visitors travel from across Spain to stand beneath it, with the tree fenced off for protection as age, disease and soil compaction threaten its long‑term health.
