Posted on 16 March 2025
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.
Eucalyptus deglupta Image credit: Thomas/Flickr
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.
Rainbow eucalyptus bark up close. mage credit: publicdomainpictures.net
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.
Eucalyptus deglupta (Rainbow eucalyptus) bark at Keanae Arboretum, Maui, Hawaii. Image credit: Forest and Kim Starr
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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