When Designing Your Landscape, Consider Trees with Beautiful Bark

When many people think of landscape designs, what comes to mind is a picture of green trees, full shrubs, and flowering plants. They may see decorative rock walls and fountains, but how often do they see or think about tree bark? The bark of some trees can add beautiful colors to many landscapes, especially during the long winter months after all the greenery has died away. The unique and interesting colors may not come from the actual bark, but from the colors hidden underneath the bark, which are displayed when the bark peels. The bark pattern can also bring out the true beauty of the tree or shrub, such as the snake-bark maple, which has bark that resembles a snake's skin, from which it gets its name. The purple birch in my backyard is gorgeous with its white bark and deep burgundy leaves, lending a spectacular contrast to the surrounding greenery.

12 trees and shrubs with beautiful bark that would enhance any landscape

-Whitewashed bramble, rubus cockburnianus, is an invasive bush with long, white stems and yellow leaves in the summer.

-Snake-bark maple, acer davidii, has dark green to greenish-brown and pale grey stripes on the bark. It is sometimes referred to as David's maple.

-Snakeskin maple, acer grosseri, is in the same family as the snake-bark maple. It is similar in size and appearance to its cousin the snake-bark maple except that it has green and white stripes instead of pale grey.

-White poplar, populous alba, is a large tree with pale grey bark with horizontal rows of black markings. Its leaves are a vibrant green on top and downy white underneath.

-Coral bark maple, acer palmatum, has brilliant red-orange stems in the winter that look great against a contrasting background.

-London plane, platanus hispanica, is a large tree with maple-like leaves. It has grey bark that flakes to reveal a rich cream color underneath.

-Moosewood, acer pensylvanicum, is a small tree with green or reddish-brown bark with white lines. Its leaves turn yellow in the fall.

-Snow gum, eucalyptus niphophila, is a small tree with white patches on its green bark. It has large, grey-green leaves.

-Paper birch, betula papyrifera, is a medium size tree with white bark that peels in paper-like sheets. The bark also has small, black marks or scars. Its leaves are green with brown edges.

-Scarlet willow, salix alba, is a tall shrub with bright scarlet stems. It is a favorite for winter landscapes.

--Red-barked dogwood, cornus alba, is another favorite for winter landscapes. It is a tall shrub with bright red upright shoots.

-Golden willow, salix alba, is a tall invasive shrub that requires regular pruning. It has golden yellow shoots that blend well with other autumn colors.

More articles from this contributor:

Nut Trees Growing in the Midwest

Insects and Your nut Trees

10 Shrubs for Your Perennial Garden

Source: ashridgetrees.co.uk, blueplanetbiomes.org