We went for a hike early this morning and I thought you might like to see one of my favorite trees - I believe the correct name is Eucalyptus deglupta.
Rainbow Eucalyptus
The trees can become even brighter than they are now at certain times of the year.
Gorgeous!!!
Love those bark colors! I hope the Big Island has those too, I'm going there in October!
I know someone who has some, and they're on my list of plants I want. They come from New Guinea but are fairly widely planted in the tropics these days.
LariAnn Garner sells these. Check out her member page and under the section that shows what she is a representative of, there is the Rainbow Eucalyptus.
Hawai'i Island has a lot of Eucalyptus deglupta which you will see occasionally by cruising the Island. It is naturalized in several areas.
One of my favorite memories.
They get immense: I have seen them in New Britain 20 feet across the buttresses. Very beautiful trunks they have!
Eucalyptus deglupta
Family: Myrtaceae
Rainbow Eucalyptus, Mindanao Gum, Rainbow Gum
Origin: Philippines Native, Papua New Guinea
Eucalyptus deglupta (Rainbow Eucalyptus) originates from the rainforests of Mindanao, which is the southernmost and easternmost island in the Philippine island group. It is a gorgeous, columnar, tall tree with peeling bark that displays a rainbow of colors. In nature, it can reach 220ft, however normally averages around 80 ft tall. It is a fast grower, though it can be kept to a much smaller size if desired. Generally likes a lot of water and naturally grows in a rain-forest environment. Prefers a humid, cooler tropical climate, unlike Eucalyptus species native to Australia.
This species is hardy to 26-28F, but only for brief periods; will not stand intense or prolonged frosts. This means that the tree is a tropical grower and as such can be grown outdoors only in Florida and perhaps southern Texas and southern California.
Planted as an ornamental street tree in tropical regions for its beautiful bark and stately appearance. The heartwood is red and is used as a timber and ornamental wood. Leaves have pleasant spicy aroma provided by essential oils, like most eucalyptus plants; however it is not as strong in this species.
Link to this plant: http://toptropicals.com/catalog/uid/eucalyptus_deglupta.htm
Thanks for the info balaitalisai, are they planted as a street tree in your area? I haven't seen them anywhere on Maui except on the wetter parts of the Island.
Hi Alistair - how is that beautiful garden of yours growing?
balaitalisai, Thank you for the Beautiful picture and the informative description!
I love those Bright Bark Colors....
My climate is a bit chilly for that tree. Many winters we get a day here and there down to 20 degrees, or even high teens. So I will be happy to visit the tree where it grows.
The wood is so beautiful, it would be fun to have something made from that wood ;-)
Of the 800 odd species of Eucalyptus it's 1 of 4 that aren't native to Australia. New Guinea shares some of our Eucalypts and E. deglupta's natural range is Indonesia, New Guinea and Philippines.
Tropical Eucalypts don't produce much Eucalyptus Oil, only the ones from southern Australia do that and that's where the extraction is done. That's also where the high quality honey comes from.
The genus occupies a wide range of habitats in Australia, from snow covered mountains, desert sand dunes to tropical rainforests. There's a species to suit just about every habitat/environment.
Hi Braveheartsmom !
I wish they would grow in the city coz they are really gorgeous trees but they only thrive in the rainforest of Mindanao, just like in Hawaii.
What I have in my property are the silver eucalyptus variety, but they are still small .