PlantFiles: Mindanao Gum Tree, Rainbow Bark
Eucalyptus deglupta

This is a "canopy" tree, and in its native habitat it offers light shade to those plants growing below. My tree (currently about 60' tall) in Naples, FL (very much inland) has been in the ground for 12-13 years, and has often been set back by the freezes that we encounter here...I have lost four "established" trees (in 5-gallon pots) to frost and freezing. This tree went through Hurricane Wilma, at which time it was set off balance by approx 30 degrees (it leans noticably). However, my biggest dissapointment occured today, when I came home to discover that a Florida black bear had attempted to climb my tree ( he got about 20 feet up), after which he cooled himself off by ripping out my water lilies from their pools and splashing out all of the water... I assume in an attempt to cool off. I do not know if my tree will ever recover. The bark has been deeply severed and hacked off in places due to his/her claws...the spread from the claws is wider than my hand. The scratches are all around the tree, up to 1 inch deep in places, with all of the claw marks visible, and show the strength of this animal. I am impressed! This may be the first time that a Florida Black Bear has ever come into contact with a Rainbow Gum Eucalyptus, native to the other side of the world!

We have this tree growing at our plant nursery in Sarasota, Florida, for 10 years
Coldest was about 17 degrees. It has very beautiful markings in the trunk, is tall and slender so it can fit easily into a small space, height is about 25ft, nothing seems to bother it.

There are several maturing plantings of this species in Southern California. UCLA has several locations, as well as the San Diego Zoo. The trees are beyond the 50' level and still growing, give them a few more decades to grow taller, but short of the 200' attained in their native Philippines. The fall color of the foliage can rival the bark, but the leaves are high up as well as the clustered white staminate flowers.

Best not to plant these tree in a row/line or formal setting as they do not grow at the same rate, and will look a bit odd.

The common name for this tree in Australia is "Kamarere".

This Eucalyptus is grown nearly exclusively for it's amazingly colored trunk. The peeling, smooth trunk of this gum tree is lime green, dark green, red, orange, brown and burgundy as the different layers of bark peel off. It almost looks like someone painted it. It has one of the most brilliantly colored and beautiful trunks of any tree that grows in the US mainland.

The leaves are not an impressive feature of this tree, especially in drier, cooler climates, and often look sad and pale. The flowers of this species are insignificant.

Like most Eucalyptus it is a very fast grower reaching heights up to 80' in more tropical areas. In the mainland US it rarely grows over 50'. Unlike most other Eucalyptus, this is not native to Australia- from the Phillipines, actually, and much prefers tropical situations like lots of water and constant heat. However it is hardy down to 24F and grows well in California and Florida.