Mother Nature's color-bomb tree is not a hallucination or a hoax. The rainbow eucalyptus is a true miracle of nature and as real as rainbows in the sky - though the tree will still be there in the morning.
Rainbow eukalyptus tree trunkImage: DW/T. Rooks
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The rainbow eucalyptus is one of the most suprising and majestic plants in the world. It is surely the most colorful - its peeling bark reveals layers and layers of spectacular hues. It is a living work of art.
Officially called Eucalyptus Deglupta, the tree is more commonly known as the "rainbow eucalyptus" or the "Mindanao gum."
The rainbow eucalyptus is one of the few types of eucalyptus trees to grow naturally outside of Australia and the only one to grow naturally in the northern hemisphere.
The tree has fascinated people for hundreds of years. It was first recorded in the late 17th century by Georg Eberhard Rumpf. He was a self-taught German-born botanist working for the Dutch East India Company on the island of Ambon in what is now Indonesia. He very logically called the tree "Arbor versicolor."
Rainbow eucalyptus trees on HawaiiImage: Imago
The tree is originally a native of the rainforests of the Philippines. More specifically it has been traced to the forests on Mindano, which is the southern and easternmost island in the Philippine archipelago. Today the tree is often used as an ornamental addition to gardens and can be found in other humid climates such as Hawaii and southern Florida, Texas and California.
It is a fast growing tree that keeps its leaves the whole year. It usually grows tall and straight, with the first branches usually sprouting very high up the trunk. If left alone the tree normally grows to a height of around 60 meters (200 feet).
Though unlike other eucalyptus trees, the rainbow eucalyptus does not produce the aromatic oil that many expect from these trees. And quite unbelievably this fascinating tree is often used for paper pulp - its wood not deemed good enough for other uses.
But what makes this tree a stunner is its smooth, multi-colored bark. As the tree grows, its bark peels off in strips, creating irregular, ever-changing stripes of magnificent colors. The underlying inner bark is a neon green. Over time this green matures into the rainbow colors that give the tree its nickname: bright reds, stunning oranges, blues, pinks and purples. Finally the bark turns a brownish red which means it is ready to peel off again - starting the never-ending process all over again.
Trees: our green lungs and so much more
The International Day of Forests is a time to appreciate our green surroundings. This year, it focuses on renewable energies, past and present, highlighting our oldest renewable: wood.
Image: picture-alliance/blickwinkel/K. Irlmeier
The call of the woods
Forests, woods, groves, copses... all of these woodland areas take centre stage on the International Day of Forests on March 21st. The day was proclaimed by the United Nations in 2012. With its annually changing themes, it is all about raising awareness of forests and their diverse uses. This year the theme is "Forests & Energy."
Image: picture-alliance/Arco Images/J. & A. Kosten
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck...
Forests are the basis for many types of energy. When used as a fuel, wood can come in handy in solid, gas, and liquid form. Woodfuels such as solid firewood and charcoal, wood gas, and liquid bio-oil or bio-ethanol provide one in three households worldwide with energy. That equals 2.4 billion people globally. Woodfuels' primary domestic uses are cooking, heating and boiling water.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Woodfuels as renewable energy
Good old forests and the fuels they generate are ancient, yet sustainable sources of energy. They account for approximately 40 percent of our global renewable energies. In contrast to fossil fuels, the emissions that are set free into the atmosphere when burning woodfuels are later removed again when trees are planted, because they make use of and store CO2.
Image: Fotolia/maho
Smoke is the deadly downside
About 50 percent of wood is used for energy purposes each year, mostly just burnt for fuel. This percentage rises to 60 percent in Asia and 90 percent in Africa. But the smoke causes problems, particularly for people's health. 4.3 million people die every year because of indoor air pollution. That is more than deaths from malaria, tuberculosis and HIV combined.
Image: Reuters/M. Al Hwaity
Working with wood
Woods are an important source of employment. In developing countries, around 883 million people base their livelihoods fully or partly on forests. With new, advanced biofuels picking up, this number could increase - also in developed countries.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/J. Holden
From chopped wood to pellets?
The popularity of pellets and briquettes has significantly increased over the years - in 2015, 28 million tons were produced. They are not only smaller and easier to handle, they can also be produced from other feedstock, such as grasses or waste-sawdust. Another benefit of the energy carrier: compared to liquid or gas from fossil fuels, pellets are safer to transport.
Image: German Pellets
A shady spot in the sweaty city
Wood is only good for heat? Not necessarily. With our planet heating up, trees can also act as coolers. In overheated cities, trees can cool their environment down by up to eight degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit). As a consequence, cooler city air requires less energy for air conditioning in buildings. The trees are working their magic again.
Image: Public Domain
Logging threat to planet's green lungs
The rainforest plays a key role in sequestering CO2. The key Amazon rainforest is under threat from deforestation as trees are felled and areas cleared for farming, mining or construction projects. Scientists warn that these forests must be saved if the world's climate is to be protected.
Image: Reuters
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