More trees to explore for the new year
Eucalyptus deglupta DURING a trip to a timber camp on the outskirts of Kanowit, I was most impressed by a beautiful tree, which is fortunately not logged for timber. What fascinated me was the beauty of its wood. It took me quite awhile to get information about the rainbow eucalyptus.
As its name indicates, this is a colourful tree. A rainbow of colours can be seen in artistic patterns on the bark. Indeed to me it seemed like someone had painted on the tree trunk.
To my great surprise, I found similar trees in Southern Australia, where I was impressed by other large and huge gum trees popular on that continent.
Botanically known as Eucalyptus deglupta, it is also called rainbow gum or Mindanao gum. It comes from the family Myrtaceae.
A beautiful columnar tree with peeling bark, rainbow gum can reach up to six feet in diameter and usually averages around 80 feet in height. It is a fast grower and can climb over three feet in a year. However, home gardeners would be glad to know that it can be kept a smaller size if desired.
It is a dominant species in the Philippines, where it is grown for commercial wood pulp for making paper. Learning this answered my question as to why the tree was left to stand in the forest in Kanowit – it is probably too soft for use as timber.
Rainbow gum does produce small white flowers and these are packed with nectar, so will definitely attract bees. The flowers in terminal compound inflorescences will bloom at different times of the year depending on the location.
This is actually an ideal tree to be cultivated as an ornamental. The grain and beautiful wood colours are perfect for decorative purposes. The showy multi-coloured streaks that cover the trunk are a distinctive landscape design element for gardens and parks, even for large open spaces in the city.
The changing colours of the multi-hued bark is really interestingly. Patches of the outer bark are shed annually at different times, revealing the bright green inner bark.
The green patches will gradually darken and mature to develop into blue, purple, orange and even maroon tones. The camouflaged bark actually continues to morph into all colours just like a rainbow.
I’ve heard rainbow gum described as the most amazingly colourful species of tree with the most beautiful bark. Having seen many examples, I must say I have to agree.
As an ornamental, this gum tree is best grown in a sunny location with direct sunlight. It will thrive if there is high rainfall of at least 150 millimetres per year.
However, it is not suitable for areas that flood frequently or low-lying areas with poor drainage.
There are no known serious insect or disease problems.
Do note that although this tree is a eucalyptus, it does not produce the aromatic oils that other eucalyptus trees are known for.
Bucida molineti
This is a tower tree from the Combretum family. Locally known as White Bucida, it is also called spiny black olive or dwarf geometry tree and originates from the Bahamas. It has spread to surrounding countries and now you can find it almost anywhere in Southeast Asia.
This slow-growing tree has a strong horizontal branching habit. The layered appearance has a wonderful look as an architectural plant. Leaves are tiny and can be variegated.
There are yellow flowers but these are quite insignificant. The tree is planted for its shape.
An overgrown tree may look messy and out of portion for landscape purposes. To keep tidy, pruning is necessary.
A highly adaptable plant, it is quite happy to grow anywhere except perhaps in soil that has a very high salt content or in an overly shaded area.
Bucida molineti is good for use as a specimen or container plant. It can be used to create a bonsai subject or even as a rock garden tree.
Locally, this tree began to appear in the state 10 years back. It has since really caught the attention of gardeners and nurseries have done well importing the seeds and raising seedlings. Today we find older plants have already reached over 10 metres in height.
This species has maintained a good selling price, which has made it quite inaccessible for many home gardeners. Currently a three-metre tree can retail for RM2,000. The reason behind this is the scarcity of good trees locally. Hence it is still imported f rom places such as Taiwan and Peninsular Malaysia.
Another problem encountered is the growth of the side branches does not necessarily take to the terminal shoot immediately. Some remain at one tier for years without seeing them growing upwards, thereby creating a natural shortage of good trees.
The mutant variety does not produce seeds, making the tree even more scarce.
Do plant some interesting trees this year. Send me an email for details or if you have any comments or suggestions. Happy gardening.