Trees are amazing organisms, providing shelter, shade and fruit -- and even communicating with each other via fungi. The bark of certain trees can even bear colours of the rainbow, as seen in the stunning species Eucalyptus deglupta, commonly called the "rainbow eucalyptus" or "Mindanao gum."
Eucalyptus deglupta is a tall tree, commonly known as the rainbow eucalyptus, Mindanao gum, or rainbow gum. It is the only Eucalyptus species found naturally in the Northern Hemisphere. Its natural distribution spans New Britain, New Guinea, Seram, Sulawesi and Mindanao.
The unique multi-hued bark is the most distinctive feature of the tree. Patches of outer bark are shed annually at different times, showing a bright green inner bark. This then darkens and matures to give blue, purple, orange and then maroon tones. They grow 6 feet (1.8 m) wide and over 200 feet (61 m) tall.
Uses
In the present day this tree is grown widely around the world in tree plantations, mainly for pulpwood used in making paper. It is the dominant species used for pulpwood plantations in the Philippines.
Cultivation
Eucalyptus deglupta is cultivated as an ornamental tree, for planting in tropical and subtropical climate gardens and parks. It is not resistant to frosts.
The showy multi-coloured streaks that cover the trunk are a distinctive landscape design element.
Native to the tropical regions of New Britain, New Guinea, Seram, Sulawesi and Mindanao, the rainbow eucalyptus is a extremely large, broadleaved evergreen tree and is the only eucalyptus species indigenous to the northern hemisphere. It grows lightning quick, being able to double its size every year, before reaching a trunk diameter of 6 feet and soaring to heights above 200 feet!
The most extraordinary feature is its vibrantly coloured bark, bits of which are discarded every year at various intervals, revealing bright green inner bark (phloem) that eventually matures and changes into rainbow-hued blues, reds, oranges and purple-browns in the summer.
Though the tree can be grown in ornamental gardens (its colours showing best in tropical or subtropical places), its wood is often used for paper pulp in countries like the Philippines. Here is are images of the tree's leave and flowers. The seeds of the rainbow eucalyptus are smaller than an ant -- but can be germinated at home.
While this may appear to be a cool tree with camouflaged bark, it actually continues to morph in all the colors of a rainbow. If you enjoy the forest, then you probably like trees. This isn’t Somewhere Over the Rainbow, but somewhere under the rainbow, so if you don’t live in a warm, moist climate, then you might not have ever come across the most beautiful bark of any tree on Earth. With bright and uniquely-colored trunk and branches, the Rainbow Eucalyptus is “one of the most amazingly colorful species of tree,” noted the photographer.
The bark is smooth, but flaky as it sheds layers on various places at different times along the tree, revealing new colors and keeping up the appearance of a rainbow. The landscaping article Under the Rainbow explained, “As the newly exposed bark slowly ages, it changes from bright green to a darker green, then bluish to purplish, and then pink-orange. Finally, the color becomes a brownish maroon right before exfoliation occurs. Since this process is happening in different zones of the trunk and in different stages, simultaneously, the colors are varied and almost constantly changing. As a result, the tree will never have the same color pattern twice, making it like a work of living art.
This uniquely-shaped tree was in a small eucalyptus grove along the way to Hana, Maui. The eucalyptus deglupta is called by many names, most commonly the rainbow eucalyptus. Since it is believed to have originated in the Philippines, specifically the island of Mindanao, it is also called Mindanao gum or rainbow gum.
Sunshine and rainbows. This is a sun-loving tree that “does not grows naturally in areas with a pronounced dry season but occurs in those where the annual rainfall is very high and the monthly rainfall usually exceeds 150 mm. Because of this, it is widely planted throughout the wet tropics. E. deglupta does not withstand prolonged flooding, is highly sensitive to fires and, although it may grow in cool environments, it does not tolerate frost.
Rainbow eucalyptus trees go from bright green after shedding to darkening and maturing to give blue, purple, orange and then maroon tones.
Rainbow Eucalyptus at the Keahua Arboretum. “The Mindanao gum was first introduced to Hawai’i for reforestation in 1929 at Wahiawa Botanical Garden. From its beginning in Wahiawa, the Mindanao gum was distributed and now grows throughout the Islands.”
Magical looking forests: The multi-colored streaks of the trunks make these trees a distinctive landscape design element. If you’d like to have one, like we would, then in the United States the trees are only shipped to zones 9 and 10, meaning the lowest possible temperatures are 20 – 30°F.
The same tree can appear different, morphing as it sheds patches of showy bark at different times throughout the year. When wet, such as after a rain, the bark takes on a shiny coloring.
Grown around the world in tree plantations, the rainbow eucalyptus is mainly used for pulpwood in making white paper. It is the dominant species used for pulpwood plantations in the Philippines, but coffee farmers in Costa Rica are using the shade of this tree to effectively grow their coffee. Also the wood from the tree can be used to make furniture and cabinets and sometimes for construction. In Hawaii, the rainbow eucalyptus is also used for making boats.
Rainbow eucalyptus, truly one of the most amazingly beautiful trees on Earth. Beautiful, Unusual, Hard to Find and Highly Recommended!
Sources:
http://www.lovethesepics.com/2013/01/living-rainbow-rainbow-eucalyptus-most-beautiful-tree-bark-on-earth-36-pics/
http://christophermartinphotography.com/tag/eucalyptus-deglupta/
http://www.exoticatropicals.com/tropical-trees/eucalyptus-deglupta-rainbow-eucalyptus/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptus_deglupta
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