Eucalyptus deglupta (Mindanao Gum)

  • TropPlant Accession Number (TPAN): 0017
  • Botanical Name: Eucalyptus deglupta 
  • Common Name: Mindanoa Gum, Painted Gum Tree, Rainbow Eucalyptus
  • Cultivar: N/A
  • Family: Myrtaceae
  • Native To: Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Indonesia, and the island Mindanao in the Philippines.
Eucalyptus deglupta bark
Photo by Matthew Gaston 

Landscaping Information

  • Plant Type: Tree
  • Texture: Open
  • Form: Upright-Narrow to Upright-broad
  • Height (on average, in landscape use): 90'-150'
  • Height to Spread Ratio: 10:1
  • Growth Rate: Very Fast
  • Landscape Values: Accent, Street Tree, Color, Mass, Shade (but not very good), Sculptural Form, Specimen, 
  • Outstanding Quality: "Painted" Bark
Eucalyptus deglupta canopy 
Photo by Matthew Gaston

Botanical Descriptions

  • Flowers: compound inflorescence, panicle of seven flowered umbels. creamy white stems.
  • Fruits: 0.1"-0.15" x 0.1"-0.15" , inconspicuous 
  • Foliage Color: Young/immature: Reddish. Mature: Dark Green, Bllue-Green
  • Foliage Tip:  Aristate
  • Foliage Base: Acute
  • Petiole: A description of the stalk that connects the leaf to the stem.
  • Stipules: A description of the outgrowths on the leaf base. 
  • Margins: Smooth to Undulate
  • Leaf Arrangement:  Opposite
  • Leaf Shape: Juvenile- ovate, Mature- lanceolate.
  • Leaf Type: Simple
  • Leaf Texture: Firm, glaucous
  • Leaf Special Notes: Young leaves are maroon and transition to green. This tree grows so rapidly that the leaves might not be relevant. 
Eucalyptus deglupta foliage with young leaves
Photo by Matthew Gaston 

Eucalyptus deglupta adaxial leaf surface
Photo by Matthew Gaston 

Eucalyptus deglupta abaxial leaf surface
Photo by Matthew Gaston 

  • Bark and Trunk: Light Green, Red, Purple, Maroon, Burgundy, and Brown colored smooth bark. Ribbons of bark slough off.
Eucalyptus deglupta bark in front of Sherman Laboratory at UH Manoa 
Photo by Matthew Gaston 

Horticultural Information

  • Light Preference: Full Sun
  • Light Tolerances: Semi-Sun
  • Soil Preferences: Not Particular, Moist
  • Tolerances: Not Particular, Humidity, Regular Watering, Drought
  • Water Requirements: Requires moist soil and high rainfall, but can tolerate drought.
  • Notes on Maintenance: Branches break in strong winds, bark peels. Roots spread widely, not great for street use.
  • Propagation: Seed, Cutting
  • USDA Hardiness Zone: 9b-11a
  • Weed Risk Assessment Score (WRA): 2, Low Risk

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