Leonardo Dicaprio Has A New Species Of Tree Named After Him

According to BBC.com, scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew, London, recently honored the “Titanic” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” star for his work in trying to save the rainforests from the dangers of logging by naming a tree after him. “We think he was crucial in helping to stop the logging of the Ebo Forest,” Dr. Martin Cheek told the BBC.

When the Ebo Forest in Cameroon was under threat of logging in 2020, DiCaprio shared the issue with his millions of social media followers, writing, “Cameroon’s Ebo Forest, and all of the incredible animals that live there, are in trouble. This includes Forest Elephants, Gorillas, Chimpanzees, and so many others. Let’s help #SaveEboForest.” His posts added momentum to the campaign to save the relatively untouched rainforest in Central Africa. Plans to allow logging in the forest were subsequently canceled by the government. Related Quentin Tarantino: Leonardo DiCaprio Was ‘Nervous’ to Improvise ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Monologue ‘The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari’ Trailer: Rory Kennedy Remembers New Zealand Disaster Related Martin Scorsese’s Favorite Movies: 53 Films the Director Wants You to See Oscars 2023: Best International Feature Film Predictions
Now, DiCaprio is the namesake for a recently discovered species of tree thought to only grow in the Ebo Forest. Officially named “Uvariopsis dicaprio,” the tree is on the “critically endangered” list. Part of the ylang ylang family, the tropical evergreen boasts glossy yellow leaves. In addition to his environmental activism, DiCaprio starred in the late 2021 Netflix release “Don’t Look Up” as an astronomer who, with a colleague played by Jennifer Lawrence, tries to convince the world to act swiftly before a meteor destroys the planet. The Adam McKay movie has proven divisive with critics and audiences, but DiCaprio has received strong notices for his atypical turn, including for a long, “Network” like breakdown speech that he rewrote 15 times, according to writer-director Adam McKay. His pleas for the environment were not as successful in reel life as they seem to have been in real life thus far. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.