The Rainbow Eucalyptus Adds Color to the Hawaiian Rainforest

Aug 9, 2019 | General Information

Possibly the most colorful bark found on any tree in the world can be found in Hawaii and it is referred to as the Rainbow Eucalyptus. Originally coming from the Philippines this beautiful tree can now be seen in various places in Hawaii and is most famously found on the Hana Highway where a beautiful stand of trees can be seen just off the roadside.

The bark of the tree is continuously peeling and continuously changing colors. The bark itself is very smooth like a paper bark tree and it is continuously curling and peeling itself from the trunk. Starting out green before it begins to flake it subtly changes colors to the darker hues before it finally drops off the tree. Because this is happening in many different place on the tree at the same time there is always an abundance of varied color as seen from every angle. Colors range from greens, to blues, purples, reds, browns and yellows.

Like the other Eucalyptus trees that grow in Hawaii these trees can reach height well over 150′ tall. They require a somewhat warm climate and do best where there is lots of water. They are also like the rest of the Eucalyptus family in the sense that they have a shallow root system with most of it spread out just under the surface of the ground and traveling for sometimes dozens and dozens of feet from the trunk itself. Trees like these can pose a danger by falling over in high winds or due to extreme rainfall conditions as their root systems cannot contain or control the weight of a fully developed tree that begins to list.