One Earth’s “Species of the Week” series sheds light on a comparatively little-known species every Wednesday. This series aims to bring attention to our home planet, Earth’s beauty, variety, and unique features.
When nature feels like a painting…
Imagine you are walking through a wood when, all of a sudden, you come across some beautifully colored Eucalyptus trees. Because of their strong aroma, these trees are instantly recognizable, and you might think you’ve stumbled upon some artwork.
Photo: Stock Photos from Sean D. Thomas/Shutterstock
Photo: Stock Photos from Martina Roth/Shutterstock
As the bark peels away from the rainbow eucalyptus (Eucalyptus deglupta), one can see the bright green inner layer of the tree. When this layer is allowed to age and is then exposed to air, various vibrant colors emerge over time. These colors include bright reds, oranges, blues, pinks, and purples.
As different layers are peeled away, more colors are revealed, and the exposed objects’ sections start to age. The amazing result of this method is an artwork that seems like a scratch drawing made with many colored crayons that were first covered with black crayons. Then the black crayon was scraped away to reveal the multiple colored crayons underneath.
Wikimedia Commons.
Photo: Stock Photos from A. Michael Brown/Shutterstock
The rainbow eucalyptus is the only eucalyptus tree species indigenous to the northern hemisphere. It is the only eucalyptus tree capable of flourishing in a rainforest environment, and the most common places to find it is in Indonesia, New Guinea, and the Philippines. Additionally, it does particularly well in tropical forests with a lot of rain.
The tree can grow to a stunning height of 76 meters (or 250 feet) in its natural environment. In the United States, the rainbow eucalyptus can be found in Hawaii and the southern parts of California, Texas, and Florida, the only areas that do not experience frost. On the mainland of the United States, the tree grows to a maximum height of only 100 to 125 feet (30–38 m).
Wikimedia Commons.
The rainbow eucalyptus, also known as Mindanao gum or rainbow gum, has a high commercial value even though the substance itself is colorless. This is because the rainbow eucalyptus’s thin layers of bark are an excellent source of pulpwood, which is the primary component of white paper. They may grow up to three feet in height yearly and are naturally resistant to the problems caused by pests and diseases. For these reasons, they are the species of choice for pulpwood plantations.
Photo: Stock Photos from A. Michael Brown/Shutterstock
The tree has evergreen leaves that are somewhat broad and white flowers. Glands produce an oil with a fragrant scent in the leaves. Although it has a strong aroma, it does not produce nearly as much oil as other eucalyptus species, which are more well-known for their medicinal uses. It doesn’t matter, though, because this tree is so beautiful!
Photo: Stock Photos from Ilya Images/Shutterstock
Whenever I see a beautiful bird, flower, or tree, I am completely taken aback and unable to find the words to express how impressed I am by Heaven’s creation. I feel a deep quake in my spirit at this.
Many of the places we have access to are stunning and filled with amazing things. What a lovely rainbow eucalyptus tree!
Find More Articles 👇 👇 👇
