Weather aside, one of the reasons Hawaii is such a popular vacation destination is because it’s filled with incredible natural wonders providing a unique vacation experience that you won’t find anywhere else. From volcanoes, to our multi-colored beaches and breathtaking hiking trails, after a few short days in Hawaii, you’ll quickly understand how it earned the moniker “Paradise of the Pacific”.
Everywhere you turn, Hawaii is a photographer’s dream. If our crystal blue water and colorful beaches weren’t enough to channel your inner shutterbug, the road to Hana on Maui certainly has something that will. Enter the Rainbow Eucalyptus.
The tree in the photo is called the Eucalyptus Deglupta. It is also known as the Mindanao Gum, Rainbow Gum, or Rainbow Eucalyptus and its array of colors are a natural phenomenon. As if hand-painted by the brush of an abstract artist, the trees boast awe-inspiring colors and patterns that must be seen to be believed.
The bark on the Rainbow Eucalyptus is thinner than what you’d find on most trees. It sheds at various times throughout the year revealing a bright green under-layer which changes color over time. As the combination of air and sunlight react with the bark, the long strips turn from green to shades of red, orange, blue, purple and even pink. Because it sheds intermittently, the trees color’s are in a constant state of change, and will never repeat the same pattern.
Adding to the tree’s already impressive features is its height. The Rainbow Eucalyptus can grow as high as 250 feet with a diameter of up to six feet. Originally brought to the islands in 1929, you can find them at various locations throughout Hawaii. Some of the tourist favorites are the afore-mentioned road to Hana on Maui, the Keane Arboretum and botanical garden, also on Maui; the Keahua Arboretum on Kauai and on Kaloko Drive near Kailua-Kona on the Big Island.
Because words will never be able to do these majestic trees justice, if you are venturing out to find a Rainbow Eucalyptus in Hawaii, don’t forget your camera!
