Award season in Hollywood is underway.  The Golden Globes just happened, the Oscars are in a couple of months, and the biggest movie star on the planet just received an honor that he didn’t have to walk down a red carpet for. 

Scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens wanted to honor Leonardo DiCaprio for his efforts in saving a rainforest in Cameroon from logging. 

So, they named a tree after him.  It’s a special tree that only grows in a Cameroon forest famous for its biodiversity. The Ebo Forest was set to be opened up for logging, which would have destroyed many plants and gorillas, chimps, and forest elephants.  

That’s when Leo stepped in. He used his social media platforms to bring awareness to the issue, which led to some pressure being put on the government.  

Because of Leo’s efforts, the government revoked plans for logging.  

The new tree named to honor Leo is called Uvariopsis DiCaprio.  It’s the first plant new to science to be named in 2022. It’s a small evergreen tree with glossy yellow flowers that grow from a trunk. 

If you’re wondering how rare this is, last year, there were about 200 plants and fungi across the world that received official names after their discovery. 

No word yet if there will be a much younger supermodel plant growing next to the Uvariopsis DiCaprio.

Add comment