Tree hugging the Bagras (aka Mindanao Gum, Rainbow Gum)

I first learned about the Bagras tree online, when a photo of a tree covered in colorful stripes was circulating. It was referred to as the “Rainbow Gum”, and after a quick search I found out that it was an actual tree native to Mindanao where my papa and lola were from. Despite many photos of the Bagras being photoshopped to look more vibrant, the tree is still quite beautiful in person. When much of the bark has peeled off or reveals a sheen after a rainy day, its rainbow namesake becomes even more evident.

Photos of Bagras trees (Eucalyptus deglupta) I’ve hugged

After seeing it online for the first time, I later forgot about it, thinking the chances of me seeing one in real life were slim to none. Until one day during a trip to Mt. Baluno in Zamboanga, our group found itself standing in the shadow of a large colorful Bagras. Since then I’ve always been on the lookout for more Bagras trees. Most of the Bagras I chanced upon were always found by accident, which made the experience even more memorable.

One of those most memorable moments was during a trip to Camiguin Island where my dad was born. We were on our way to our room when my partner stopped behind me in awe of a colorful tree we overlooked so many times in that area. Indeed it was another huge, gorgeous Rainbow Bagras. I wondered if my dad had ever seen one in his youth.

A few years later I saw another Bagras on the campus of Visayas State University in Baybay Leyte with colleagues from the Haribon Foundation. The trees and the campus in general are backdropped by the picturesque, steep, mountain faces of Mt. Pangasugan. A big thanks to friends and colleagues Kath and Kitty for finding the Bagras trees here, and for taking my pictures lol.

Surprisingly, despite being native to Mindanao, the Bagras can also be found in Luzon. Possibly due to its beauty, the Bagras can be found in many neighborhoods, parks, and even along random streets.

Two Bagras trees grow high in the hills of Antipolo in Rizal province. My partner found these as we exited the Pinto Art Museum, one of our most favorite places. One was quite large, and the other even had a small solar panel attached to it.

If you are ever in the area to see the trees, be sure to check out the Pinto Art Museum as well. Inside it has a beautiful arboretum full of other kinds of trees native to the Philippines. You can learn more about the arboretum here.

If you’re in Metro Manila, you can see a small grouping of Bagras trees at Ayala Triangle in Makati. One of them has a huge gash or black area on it, which for some reason adds to its allure.

Why does it look like this?

As the Bagras sheds its bark, it reveals a layer of color underneath. As this layer is exposed to air, it ages into different colors like red, orange, blue, pink and purple.

A botanist cited by Sciencefriday.com specifically points to cambium cells, which makes new bark.

Dividing cambium cells – similar to stem cells in animals – produce a succession of thin barks, each dozens of cells thick, on a growing rainbow eucalyptus tree. Each bark layer has a transparent surface overlay just one cell thick, according to Lee, and the tissue underneath is packed with bright green chlorophyll. Over time, the clear surface cells become flush with the reddish brown color of tannins. These accumulations, plus a depletion in chlorophyll in the underlying tissue, lead to the apparent change in color of the bark layers.

David Lee, an emeritus professor of botany at Florida International University. Sciencefriday.com.

Appreciation, with advocacy

Finding Bagras trees remains to be an on-going pastime of mine whenever I’m out on the bicycle or running errands. But bringing to light this beautiful tree is more than just for fun. Unfortunately the Bagras, scientific name Eucalyptus deglupta, is under the Vulnerable category of the IUCN Red List. It is not yet listed on the Philippine national list of threatened plants. It is the only eucalyptus tree that is native to the Philippines.

According to the IUCN profile, more than half of the Bagras found in one of the largest stands of the species on Mindanao have been destroyed for agriculture. Though it can also be found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, forest cover in these countries have also been in decline. In general, the Philippines is down to 24% forest cover, way below initial estimates of 70% in the 1900s.

Why care about this species, and our forests?

• What is left of wild Bagras trees are in forests where people not only enjoy the outdoors by trekking or hiking, but where people are also dependent on forest resources (i.e bamboo, firewood, medicine). This species is a sign of how healthy the forest is. If the forest is not healthy enough for it, the forest is not healthy enough to sustain human health, and happiness.
• These forests are ecosystems, or places where life and the physical environment together form connected relationships and sustain each other. The forest ecosystem is important because they deliver water to us, and they absorb carbon dioxide and help control our climate.

How you can help

Though we’ve been in a prolonged quarantine around the world, it doesn’t mean we can’t help the Bagras and other species we need to keep our ecosystems intact.

• If you live in Mindanao, reach out to your local DENR office and ask how you can volunteer or assist in existing programs, or even surveys of areas where Bagras trees in the wild can be found.
• Read studies and examples of successful conservation efforts that empower local communities. Use your resources to connect local organizations in Mindanao with support, funding, training, and more to start or continue local conservation efforts.
• If you are not from Mindanao or are too far to visit, research into national forest laws that you can support, like the Sustainable Forest Management Act, and the other Green Bills.
• Donate or volunteer with environmental NGOs like the Haribon Foundation, or the Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society, Inc., and more.
• Continue educating yourself and others on the importance of local biodiversity and ecosystems for people, and the planet.

Google map of Bagras trees

There’s also a Google map of Bagras trees plotted by members of the Philippine Native Tree Enthusiasts (PNTE) FB group.

The map shows 39 trees found so far by members of the group. Most of them are trees spotted in Luzon since it seems most of the group members are from there. If you spot any Bagras trees in your neighborhood, do let me know and I will add it to the map.

The Bagras, also known as the Rainbow Tree, Rainbow Gum, or Mindanao Gum has just as many colors as it has names, for as it sheds it reveals a variety of palettes and tones. It stands unique among the trees that surround it. It is native to the Philippines, and is often hugged by tree-huggers alike, regardless of where they live and who they love.

Now go and find some Rainbow Bagras trees to hug.