Trees With Interesting Bark: Texture, Color, And Design Tips
Discover how distinctive tree bark can transform your landscape with texture, color, and visual interest throughout all four seasons
Image: HearthJunction Design Team
The Overlooked Beauty of Tree Bark
When designing a garden, most people focus on flowers, foliage, and fruitâbut tree bark often gets overlooked as a design element. Yet bark can be one of the most distinctive features of a tree, providing texture, pattern, and color throughout the year. In fact, bark becomes even more prominent during winter when deciduous trees have shed their leaves and the garden lacks other visual interest. By selecting trees with attractive bark, you can create a landscape that remains visually compelling during all four seasons.
Tree bark serves as the protective outer layer of the tree, shielding it from environmental stresses, pests, and diseases. However, beyond its functional purpose, bark offers remarkable diversity in appearance. From smooth and sleek to deeply furrowed, from peeling in papery sheets to exfoliating in irregular chunks, bark textures vary widely across species. Similarly, bark color ranges from subtle grays and browns to vibrant whites, reds, oranges, and even greens.
By understanding the characteristics of different types of tree bark, you can make informed choices when selecting trees for your landscape, ensuring year-round visual appeal. Let’s explore the various types of bark textures and colors, and discover some exceptional trees that showcase these features.
Understanding Bark Textures
Bark texture is one of the most distinctive characteristics that can add visual interest to your garden. Young trees typically have smooth, unbroken bark, which often changes as the tree matures. The texture of bark can be described in various ways, each creating a different aesthetic effect in the landscape.
Smooth Bark
Some trees maintain smooth bark throughout their lives, creating a clean, elegant appearance in the garden. American beech (Fagus grandifolia) is known for its distinctive smooth, light gray bark that remains unbroken even in mature specimens. This smooth surface serves as a natural deterrent to climbing plants and certain insects. Other trees with notably smooth bark include European beech (Fagus sylvatica) and hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), the latter developing a unique muscular appearance with smooth, sinewy ridges as it ages.
Furrowed and Ridged Bark
Many mature trees develop furrowed bark with distinctive ridge patterns that add texture to the landscape. Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) features furrowed bark with flat, narrow ridges and moderate fissures. In contrast, black walnut (Juglans nigra) develops deeply furrowed bark with dark crevices. Ash trees (Fraxinus species) are recognized by their interlaced corky ridges forming characteristic diamond patterns, while eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) displays a more fibrous texture with furrows that are themselves furrowed.
Exfoliating and Peeling Bark
Perhaps the most dramatic bark texture comes from trees with exfoliating or peeling bark. These trees naturally shed their outer bark layers, creating visual interest through contrast and texture. Paper birch (Betula papyrifera) is famous for its bright white bark that peels in thin, papery sheets. River birch (Betula nigra) features cinnamon-colored bark that exfoliates in curly, thin layers, giving the trunk an almost furry appearance. Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) sheds its bark in large, irregular plates, revealing creamy white or green patches underneath.
What others are reading
Plated and Scaly Bark
Some trees develop bark that breaks into distinct plates or scales. London plane tree (Platanus à acerifolia) has bark that flakes off in puzzle-like pieces, exposing lighter patches beneath. Pine trees often have plated bark, with species like Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris) developing orange-hued plates in the upper trunk. Scaly bark appears in many species including various junipers and arborvitae, creating a fine-textured appearance.
The Color Spectrum of Tree Bark
While texture adds tactile interest to the garden, bark color creates visual impact, especially during winter months when the landscape can appear monochromatic. Tree bark encompasses a surprisingly wide range of colors and patterns that can be leveraged for design effect.
White and Silver Barks
Trees with white or silver bark create dramatic focal points in the garden, standing out brilliantly against evergreen backgrounds or winter snow. The paper birch (Betula papyrifera) is perhaps the most iconic white-barked tree, with its bright white trunk that peels in horizontal strips. European white birch (Betula pendula) offers a similar effect with slightly more silvery bark. Ghost gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora) features smooth, white bark that can sometimes display subtle green, gray, or pink undertones.
Red and Cinnamon Barks
Red-barked trees add warmth to the winter landscape. The paperbark maple (Acer griseum) is renowned for its cinnamon-red bark that peels in paper-thin curls, creating both color and textural interest. Coral bark maple (Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’) develops vibrant red stems and branches that become especially intense in winter. The red-twig dogwood (Cornus sericea), while more shrub than tree, provides brilliant red stems that brighten the winter garden.
Multi-colored and Patterned Barks
Some trees offer the most visual interest through bark that combines multiple colors or distinctive patterns. The Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis) features mottled bark in shades of gray, green, and brown on attractively fluted trunks. Lacebark pine (Pinus bungeana) displays a patchwork of green, gray, and beige tones. Perhaps the most dramatic is the rainbow eucalyptus (Eucalyptus deglupta), with bark that periodically sheds to reveal a changing palette of green, blue, purple, orange, and maroon streaks.
Green Barks
Trees with green bark are relatively uncommon but create distinctive garden features. The striped maple (Acer tegmentosum) maintains contrasting green and white striping in its bark throughout its life. Japanese maple cultivar ‘Pine Bark’ (Acer palmatum ‘Pine Bark’) develops interesting green undertones in its textured bark. These green-barked specimens add an unexpected element to the garden palette, especially effective when positioned to catch winter sunlight.
Exceptional Trees for Bark Interest
When selecting trees specifically for bark interest, consider these standout specimens that offer remarkable texture, color, or pattern.
Birch Trees (Betula species)
Birches are among the most recognized trees for bark interest. Beyond the classic paper birch, consider river birch (Betula nigra) for its peeling cinnamon-colored bark that curls away from the trunk, or Himalayan birch (Betula utilis var. jacquemontii) for its exceptionally white, non-peeling bark. For smaller gardens, try the Japanese white birch (Betula platyphylla) which offers similar aesthetic benefits in a more compact form.
Maple Trees (Acer species)
Several maple species offer exceptional bark. The paperbark maple (Acer griseum) displays cinnamon-colored, exfoliating bark that catches the light beautifully in winter. Three-flowered maple (Acer triflorum) features exfoliating honey-brown bark. For those seeking pattern, consider the snake bark maple (Acer davidii) with its distinctive green bark marked with vertical white striations.
Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia species)
Crape myrtles combine beautiful summer flowers with striking winter bark. As they mature, these trees develop smooth, mottled bark in shades of tan, cinnamon, and gray as the outer bark exfoliates. Varieties like ‘Natchez’ and ‘Muskogee’ are particularly noted for their exceptional bark display.
Sycamore and Plane Trees (Platanus species)
American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) and London plane tree (Platanus à acerifolia) both develop striking mottled bark as the outer layers exfoliate in large, irregular plates, revealing lighter patches beneath. This creates a camouflage-like pattern of cream, olive, and brown that is particularly dramatic on mature specimens.
Designing with Bark in Mind
To maximize the impact of trees with interesting bark, consider these design principles when incorporating them into your landscape:
Strategic Placement
Position trees with distinctive bark where they can be easily viewed and appreciated, especially from windows frequently used during winter. Consider placing them near walkways, patios, or entryways where they become part of the daily experience of the garden. Trees with light-colored or exfoliating bark are particularly effective when positioned against an evergreen backdrop that highlights their unique characteristics.
Lighting Considerations
Leverage natural and artificial light to enhance bark features. Trees with peeling or colorful bark often look most dramatic when backlit by morning or afternoon sun. Consider installing landscape lighting to illuminate interesting bark at night, extending the visual enjoyment into evening hours, particularly during winter when days are shorter.
Seasonal Combinations
Pair bark-interest trees with other plants that offer complementary seasonal features. For example, plant white-barked birches with red-twigged dogwoods for winter color contrast, or underplant exfoliating maples with evergreen groundcovers that provide year-round textural contrast.
Maintaining Trees for Optimal Bark Display
To ensure your trees showcase their bark to best advantage, proper maintenance is essential:
Cleaning and Care
Some trees with exfoliating bark, such as paper birch, benefit from gentle cleaning to remove algae or moss that might obscure their distinctive coloration. Use a soft brush and water to carefully clean the trunk without damaging the bark. Avoid pressure washing, which can harm the tree.
Pruning Practices
Practice judicious pruning to highlight bark features. For multi-stemmed specimens, selective thinning can open up the structure to better display interesting bark. Remove competing vegetation that might conceal the trunk, and consider removing lower branches of specimen trees to create a clearer view of distinctive bark.
Protection from Damage
Protect trees with ornamental bark from mechanical damage from lawn equipment, which can mar their appearance and potentially introduce disease. Consider installing mulch rings around specimens to eliminate the need for mowing or trimming near the trunk.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: When is the best time to appreciate tree bark?
A: While tree bark provides year-round interest, winter is the optimal time to appreciate bark features, especially on deciduous trees. Without leaves to obscure the view, the texture, color, and pattern of bark becomes the primary visual element. Additionally, the low angle of winter sunlight often enhances bark coloration and texture.
Q: Can I enhance the appearance of tree bark?
A: The natural beauty of tree bark is best preserved without artificial enhancement. However, gentle cleaning with water and a soft brush can remove algae or moss that might obscure natural coloration. Always avoid painting or applying sealants to bark, as these can damage the tree by interfering with its natural processes.
Q: Which trees with interesting bark are suitable for small gardens?
A: For compact spaces, consider smaller species like Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) cultivars, paperbark maple (Acer griseum), or Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa). Multi-stemmed river birch (Betula nigra) can be maintained at a smaller size, while crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia) can be grown as either a large shrub or small tree depending on pruning practices.
Q: How can I use tree bark to identify trees in winter?
A: Bark characteristics are valuable identification tools, especially in winter when leaves are absent. Each tree species has distinctive bark patterns that become more pronounced with age. Look for characteristics like texture (smooth, furrowed, exfoliating), color, and distinctive patterns. These features, combined with overall tree shape and twig arrangement, can help identify deciduous trees during dormant seasons.
References
- https://mgnv.org/tt-native-plants-mid-atlantic/tree/identifying-trees-by-their-bark/
- https://www.plantspecialists.com/blog/tree-bark-explained
- https://pacifichorticulture.org/articles/enriching-your-garden-with-tree-bark/
- https://bigtreesupply.com/the-unique-characteristics-of-tree-bark/
- https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/garden-scoop/2019-01-25-tree-bark
Similar Articles
Read full bio of Shinta
