[John J]

I took the following photos as I was walking around the garden/field this morning. The aesthetics of tree bark is often overlooked, or overshadowed, by foliage or flowers I feel. They are, in order, Guava, Walnut, Arbutus andrachne, Melia azedarach, Lemon, Paulownia tomentosa, Cupressus arizonica and Olive.

[MikeHardman]

Very nice John; I quite agree.

It can be one of the side-benefits of raising the crown on a tree - that the character of the trunk becomes visible. Often, when I have done that, it is because the tree was intrinsically too large for the spot it was planted in. By the time that 'something needs to be done', the (hidden) trunk is often quite sizeable - potentially characterful. After pruning off the lower branches, there are always considerable scars. But as they heal over, they add to the character, sometimes seeming to give the trunk muscles under its skin. Of course, planting and growing other plants under a big tree can be a challenge, but it can also provide an opportunity. For instance, it may provide somewhere for a delicate groundcover, planted at the periphery, to wander - where otherwise it would be out-competed by weeds. Such groundcover can also provide a nice foil to complement the character and colour of the tree bark. Back in England, I used to grow Salvia microphylla very well under the canopy of a Leyland cypress (not planted by me).

Also, it may be not only the bark on the tree that is of interest. Where the bark falls off in plates of one size or another, an interesting natural mulch can develop. And bark decorated with thorns, such as Ceiba speciosa/pentandra, Aralia Spinosa, Pachira quinata, Hura crepitans

Some trees I have grown and/or known for their bark (in no particular order):
- Acer griseum (paper bark maple)
- Acer (snakebark maple types; I have grown several species from seed)
- Acer campestre (forms can be selected for their winged bark)
- Prunus serrula
- Pinus
- Betula
- Fagus (I grew up on the North Downs in Surrey loving the smooth silvery grey bark of the big old beeches)
- Carpinus (somewhat like beech but with the appearance of sinews taut just below the surface)
- Eucalyptus
- Platanus
- Arbutus menziesii (madrone)
- Stewartia (Wiki: 'The bark is very distinctive, smooth orange to yellow-brown, peeling in fine flakes')
- Sequoia & Sequoiadendron
- Castanea sativa (curiously, there is at least one almond near me that has a very similar bark - deep and strongly-spiralled ridges)
- Carya (the curved plates on mature trees are thought (by some) to be a defence against squirrels)
- Cinnamomum
- Taxus (old boles can look like old olives, not in colour, but in the way that pockets and ridges develop)
- Cornus (red- and yellow-barked shrubby types; my mind now wanders to coloured bamboos)

[Alisdair]

It's also at this time of year, with the sun lower in the sky, that the direction of the light shows up the beauty of the various barks particularly well. Thanks for taking us on that rewarding stroll, John!

[KatG]

Cedric Pollet, a French landscape architect/photographer has made a 14 year study of tree bark. His book 'Bark, an intimate look at the world's trees' is a fascinating study of hundreds of trees, illustrated with stunning photographs. It is published in French, English, German and Japanese. You can view many of the photographs on his web site.  Here is the link - www.cedric-pollet.com/site/livre.php

[John J]

Some formidable-looking stuff there, Mike. We have a Ceiba speciosa but it's only a baby yet so has a long way to go before it can join that company. The book you recommend, Katerina, looks fascinating and has immediately been added to my 'want one' list, thank you.

[Hilary]

You have given me the incentive to get out and look for some trees  with interesting bark. well next week maybe

Looking through my photos all I found was a snap of the trunk of an olive tree which was growing in the yard of a car service garage

And a photo of the bark of a tree in Buckingham Palace garden, This was nicely labelled

[Hilary]

Not many trees with interesting bark in Corinth.
There are plenty of Tamarix trees, not very old , but with interesting bark

[Fermi]

We saw this in the garden of Sunnymeade near Euroa in Northern Victoria, the South American Polylepis australis.
The garden's creator, Craig Irving, said he grew it from seed.
cheers
fermi