The Colorful Life of the Rainbow Eucalyptus

Ever heard of the coveted blue rose? There's no such thing — at least without some genetic manipulation, since roses normally lack the gene required for blue pigmentation. A rainbow tree, on the other hand, does exist. Eucalyptus deglupta, or the aptly named Rainbow Eucalyptus, originated in the Philippines and is the only species of eucalyptus that is native to the northern hemisphere. It's probably the closest leafy relative to a painter's palette you've seen.

This tree's trunk and limbs are a variegated display of browns, purples, oranges, reds, and yellows. The colors arise from the unique quality of its bark and the staggered timing with which the bark sheds. Unlike trees such as oaks, which have continually thickening layers of corky bark, eucalyptus trees shed thin layers of bark throughout their lifetimes. The naturally brown bark drops off at scattered places on the trunk's surface, revealing the bright green inner bark underneath. Over time, as this tender bark is exposed to air, it becomes purple and blue, then gradually takes on orange, red, and yellow hues. The bark is completely brown again by the time the bark shedding cycle is ready to repeat.

Currently, the most common purpose for Eucalyptus deglupta cultivation is pulpwood generation. Despite the colorful countenance of its living, growing form, the wood pulp derived from the tree is the primary ingredient in white paper. Harvesting eucalyptus for this purpose can be environmentally friendly, but only if reforestation initiatives and pulpwood-specific cultivation are expanded. Otherwise, this ever-changing piece of art could be permanently effaced, and its colors wiped out forever.

Image Credit: Jeff Kubina (http://www.flickr.com)