Winter is the perfect time to get a good look at the bark on trees, without the distraction of leaves, flowers or fruits. The Acer griseum (Paper Bark Maple) at the entrance to the Haggerty Education Center is a gorgeous collage of overlapping, exfoliating bark in shades of brown and tan. The Heptacodium miconioides (Seven Sons Tree) presents a smoother bark, with long exfoliating strands of bark that move with the breeze. A Lagerstromia indica cv. Acoma (Crapemyrtle) also has a smooth bark, but with subtle patches of beige, peach and olive green. These are not the only examples of interesting bark to be found!
Pictures courtesy of Margery Ennist.
Crapemyrtle
Crapemyrtle
Paperbark Maple
Paperbark Maple
Seven Sons Tree
Seven Sons Tree