hial2 wrote:storms in NC wrote:They live in the paper trees down there to. So when it rains they like to come in the house. I hate the darn things makes my skin craw
Paper trees?? What is that? Fill me in will you?? We're moving to Waxshaw..
I would think this is a reference to the melaleuca tree...beside harbouring roaches, here is some OT info...though, it does have some relation to weather ultimately, if you believe in the longterm chain of events...which I do!
"Melaleuca trees, (Melaleuca quinquenervia), also known as punk trees or paperbark tea trees, are native to Australia. In that country, melaleuca is well-known, planted in parks, valued by beekeepers, attractive to birds and bats. In fact, because of development, melaleuca trees in some parts of Australia are the subject of conservation efforts. In other places, there are dense forests of melaleuca, just as there were when Europeans first arrived there.
In Florida, however, melaleuca is a pest, especially in the Everglades and surrounding areas, where the trees grow into immense forests, virtually eliminating all other vegetation. Melaleuca grows in terrestrial as well as in completely aquatic situations. The Everglades, the mostly treeless "river of grass", in some places has become the "river of trees", a completely alien habitat to the plants and animals that have evolved to live in the glades. During the 50 years since its introduction into the state, melaleuca has taken over hundreds of thousands of acres of Everglades, threatening the very existence of this internationally known eco-treasure."
They also put off a powerful blossom that, when coming into flower is known to really be irritating for those with allergies. Something like the Australian pine, another water sucker (hmmm, another Oz import!), they are very unwelcome Florida residents now.
--ex-Floridian