Barking Up The Right Tree

Posted on 24 Jan, 2009 11 comments

With the leaves off all the deciduous trees and shrubs in the garden, now is a good time to look at their bark. Some are well known for having decorative or coloured stems but others are just as attractive although not as well celebrated.

Several of the dogwoods are grown for their coloured stems. The best red ones belong to cornus alba ‘Sibirica’

Whoever heard of a daphne being recognised for its bark? Well, this is daphne mezereum – what do you think?

Sheltered gardens with acid soil can grow the Chilean fire bush, embothrium lanceolatum

Do you recognise this summer flowering shrub? It’s a hibiscus

And here is something else we grow for its flowers. But the green stems of leycesteria formosa stand out at this time of year

Luma appiculata is a multi-stemmed tree belonging to the myrtle family

The bark of a shrub that is flowering now – mahonia x media ‘Charity’

Closely related to kerria is neillia thibetica. This flowers in June and July and, like a kerria, has a suckering habit. The best colouring is on the youngest stems

But it is the old stems of physocarpus where the park peels off in an attractive manner

Prunus serrula has rich, shiny copper-brown bark that makes you want to stroke it but it has a poor floral display. While the bark of prunus ‘Accolade’ may not be in the same league, its blossom is one of the best

But you wouldn’t want to touch rosa rugosa

This bark is shiny although it hasn’t been polished. It belongs to sambucus racemosa, one of the cut-leaf elders

Or how about this one? Ulmus x elegantissima ‘Jacqueline Hillier’ is a dwarf elm and is resistant to Dutch Elm Disease

This beefy climber winds around anything to climb – even itself! Did you recognise it as a wisteria?

I can recommend going out and looking at the bark of woody plants in your own garden – it may make you see things in a new light

Comments

Gee19

You've opened my eyes, Andrew! Even when I walk in the woods I tend to look at the overall rather than the individuals - suppose that's where the saying 'can't see the wood for the trees' comes from?

24 Jan, 2009

Spritzhenry

Wonderful - fascinating, Andrew.

I love the bark on my old Ash tree, it's so gnarled and fissured. The Eucalyptus drives me scatty, though, because at certain times of the year, it sheds large pieces of bark all over the place - but I shall be looking at all the other trees and shrubs now with different eyes!

Some people can tell you what a tree is from a picture of its bark - I'm ashamed to say that apart from a few, I certainly couldn't!

24 Jan, 2009

Blodyn

That was good. I went for a walk this morning along the river bank near here and There were lots of diferent trees with diferent barks.
I'll have to take a look in my garden tomorrow. There isn't much there at present but it's worth considering what a plant looks like in winter when you buy one.

24 Jan, 2009

Grenville

An interesting Blog and photos Andrew.

It was super to see your photo of the Wisteria bark.Our Wisteria at the front of the house is now 35 years old and the trunk has a wonderful gnarled and twisted structure.

24 Jan, 2009

Gilli

Lovely photos Andrew. I especially like the one of the old Wisteria. Its fascinating. The one of Ulmus x elegantissima ‘Jacqueline Hillier’ looks as if you oiled it up specially for its photo session. :o)

24 Jan, 2009

Terratoonie

What a great variety of bark.

Good photography and very informative.

Thanks for the lovely blog. :o)

24 Jan, 2009

Wagger

Talking about trunks, Andrew, would you look at page three of my photos, bottom row, extreme left and identify this tree for me - any ideas? It's driving me nuts trying to find out. The fruit and leaves are on the next photo. Hope you can help. By the way, very interesting blog as always.

24 Jan, 2009