With brightly-coloured striped bark the Eucalyptus deglupta trees, commonly called rainbow eucalyptus trees have been referred to as a ‘magical sight’ by people who see them.
These unusual trees can be found on the island of Mindanao, in the southern part of the Philippines as well in the forests of Indonesia. Although not native to the USA, the trees have been planted in parts of California, Texas and in the Keanae Arboretum on the island of Maui, Hawaii.
The rainbow-effect occurs as older bark peels off as the tree grows and the fresh-new bark which is a vibrant green, is revealed. As the bark ages, it changes colour and can appear purple, blue, orange or red. Because the old bark doesn’t flake off uniformly, a tree can have a variegated or rainbow-coloured appearance.
These trees can look quite otherworldly, as if they belong in fairyland or in the forest in a scene in Avatar. The fast-growing trees are the only species of eucalyptus that can usually be found in a rainforest. It is also one of only four species which doesn’t grow in Australia.
Not all rainbow eucalyptus trees are equally multi-coloured but on some, the colours are so vibrant that they look artificial, which makes for great Instagram pictures.
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Have you ever seen anything so magical? #bigislandlove #rainboweucalyptustree
Neon #rainbowEucalyptus trees pic.twitter.com/SDPjn5wGHr
— Mary Ha (@lorax58) June 30, 2019
Featured image: Flickr