Rainbow Eucalyptus: The Most Beautiful Tree in the World – It’s Like a Work Of Art
Every Wednesday, One Earth’s “Species of the Week” series highlights a relatively obscure and unique species in order to highlight the beauty, diversity, and exceptional qualities of our common planet Earth.
When Nature feels like painting…
Imagine driving through a forest and coming across brightly colored Eucalyptus trees that are so distinct due to their pungent scent that you’d swear you’d discovered a work of art.
Photo: Stock Photos from Sean D. Thomas/Shutterstock
Photo: Stock Photos from Sean D. Thomas/Shutterstock
As the bark sheds, the bright green inner layer of the rainbow eucalyptus (Eucalyptus deglupta) is visible. Colors such as bright reds, oranges, blues, pinks, and purples emerge as this layer ages and is exposed to air. Other colors emerge as different layers are peeled away, while exposed areas begin to age. This procedure creates an amazing image that looks like a multicolored crayon scratch drawing that has been coated in black crayon and then scraped away to reveal the multicolored crayon underneath.
Wikimedia Commons.
Photo: Stock Photos from A. Michael Brown/Shutterstock
The rainbow eucalyptus tree is the only one native to the northern hemisphere. It is the only eucalyptus tree that can grow in a rainforest and can be found primarily in the Philippines, New Guinea, and Indonesia. It also grows well in tropical woods that get a lot of rain. The tree can grow to be 250 feet (76 meters) tall in its natural habitat. Rainbow eucalyptus can be found in Hawaii, as well as the most southern parts of California, Texas, and Florida, where there are no frosts. However, on the US mainland, the tree only grows to a height of 100 to 125 feet (30-38 m.).
Wikimedia Commons.
Because its thin layers of bark are a great source of pulpwood, the primary component of white paper, the rainbow eucalyptus, also known as Mindanao gum or rainbow gum, has a high commercial value for a substance that is actually colorless. They are a dominant species in pulpwood plantations because they are extremely fast growers, gaining up to three feet per year, and naturally resistant to pest and disease challenges.
Photo: Stock Photos from A. Michael Brown/Shutterstock
The tree has evergreen leaves that are somewhat wide and white blossoms. An aromatic oil is produced by glands in the leaves. Despite having a distinct scent, it does not produce as much oil as other eucalyptus species. And that’s okay because this tree is absolutely stunning!
Photo: Stock Photos from Ilya Images/Shutterstock
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