The World’s Most Amazing Trees

Published January 6, 2013
Updated November 7, 2023

From technicolor bark to oak-walled religious sanctuaries, a captivating look at the world's eight most amazing trees.

Amazing Trees: The Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree

Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree Photograph

Like most aphorisms, the adage “art imitates life” is applicable in many cases, but is especially so when remarking on the stunning canvas that is the rainbow eucalyptus tree.

Resembling some sort of psychedelic Pollock painting, what one might easily confuse for frenzied, highly saturated brush strokes is actually Mother Nature’s grunt work.

This brand of eucalyptus tree sheds its bark in patches sporadically throughout the year and in the process transforms into a technicolor dream. Initially, the exposed undergrowth is bright green, though as it matures the colors shift to blue, purple, orange and then finally maroon tones.

The Quaking Aspens

Amazing Trees Quaking Aspen

Source: Bio 230

Beyond its stunning, canary-colored foliage, quaking aspens are a testament to the fact that unification and solidarity are the key to a long, golden life.

While on the surface these trees seem like a cluster of individual timber, the truth is that beneath the soil, all the trees are rooted together into one giant organism, so large in fact that it can be up to 20 acres wide.

This serves an advantage in terms of longevity, seeing as one stand of quaking aspens in Bryce Canyon National Park is estimated to be approximately 80,000 years old!

Most Amazing Trees Quaking Aspen Tree

Source: Shelley Lake

Quaking Aspen Tree Photograph

Amazing Trees: Tetrameles Nudifloras

While somewhat reminiscent of dripping candle wax, the roots of the tetrameles nudifloras are much harder to remove once set. Found in many parts of Southeast Asia and Oceania, the seeping trees featured above and below can be seen slowly engulfing the ruins of Cambodia’s historic Ta Prohm Temple.

author
Savannah Cox
author
Savannah Cox holds a Master's in International Affairs from The New School as well as a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Sheffield. Her work as a writer has also appeared on DNAinfo.
editor
John Kuroski
editor
John Kuroski is the editorial director of All That's Interesting. He graduated from New York University with a degree in history, earning a place in the Phi Alpha Theta honor society for history students. An editor at All That's Interesting since 2015, his areas of interest include modern history and true crime.