These spectacular trees might seem as if their colors were artificially painted on, but they are, in fact, entirely natural.
The gorgeous multi-colored trees, known as Eucalyptus deglupta trees or rainbow eucalyptus trees are found predominantly in Hawaii, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, per Insider.
While the trees are native to the Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, they were brought to Hawaii to help counteract deforestation. Because, as has been well-documented over the last few decades, the loss of trees as a result of deforestation can go on to cause a host of problems. It has a detrimental effect on wildlife, ecosystems, weather patterns, and the climate.
The threat posed to the world by climate change has become so severe that David Attenborough felt compelled to issue world leaders with this statement about global warming:The rainbow eucalyptus tree, which is the only species of eucalyptus native to the northern hemisphere, can also be found in the southern regions of California, Texas, and Florida.
So how exactly does the tree's rainbow appearance come about?
Well, the bark peels off over the course of the year, continuously adding to its multicolored appearance until it reveals a vivid green bark beneath the layers.
"The most colorful tree in the world: The Rainbow Eucalyptus tree (Eucalyptus deglupta)," IFLScience explains in an Instagram post on the phenomenon." The outer bark sheds at different times, revealing bright green inner bark. As this matures it darkens and changes color, creating the rainbow effect you see here."
While each layer of the new bark matures, it turns multiple colors - such as blue, purple, orange, and red.
The trees grow best in moist environments and can grow up to 3 feet per season. However, while they can grow to 250 feet tall in their native environments, they only grow up to about 125 feet in the US.
