Are you wondering what happened to these trees? No—they haven’t been painted. This is the rainbow eucalyptus tree (Eucalyptus deglupta). The colorful stripes are natural.
The rainbow eucalyptus is naturally found in New Guinea, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It has been planted in other locations with a tropical climate, including some parts of the southern United States.
The colorful bark is created as it sheds. The brown bark peels off in different places at different times. When the brown bark is first shed, the underneath is bright green. As that bark is exposed to air, it changes colors. It becomes purple, orange, red, yellow, and finally brown. Then the cycle repeats. This means that the bark is always changing colors.
The rainbow eucalyptus is used as a decorative tree in some areas. But the main use of the tree is rather surprising. It is used as the main ingredient in white paper.
Before you plant one of these colorful trees, check the rules in your area. Experts warn that in some areas, the rainbow eucalyptus is likely to become an invasive species [a nonnative organism that causes harm].
What Do You Think? What should people think about before planting rainbow eucalyptus trees?
Photo Credit: ETrayne04/Alamy Stock Photo
