Since It's December Again and You Still Arent Dead...

Since the first day of spring is a whole season away, you may as well embrace the winter.
There's bark to see and some  grasses that look pretty fine too.

And purple berries.

Bark of the Week

It's a tossup between the peeling, multi-shaded bark of the crepe myrtle and the silvery gray of a flowering cherry for bark of the week, at least for me.

Peeling Crepe Myrtle Bark and a Sweet Smelling Rose

What cultivar of crepe myrtle or rose though? That's currently a mystery to me. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this rose had a scent actually.

It's Crepe Myrtle Time Again

And if the number of pictures I have taken of Crepe Myrtles over time indicates anything, it's probably that I'm a bit of a fan of them even when they aren't in bloom.

What Did the Birches Say to the Zebra and the Giraffe?

"You ain't got nothing on us!"

And a passing squirrel and I agreed.

Chinese Quince Bark in June

I went back to visit this old Chinese Quince specimen at Hofstra since I heard that this tree's bark is even more brilliantly colored in June. I was not disappointed.

Bark of the Week: Stewartia psuedocamellia

                        What's there to say except this tree has got some serious bark?

Just a Little Color

It isn't true that there is no color to be found in winter. In every season there is color, both subtle and intense.

Some Bark and A Bud

Because it's winter and it's cold and I couldn't survive if I had to withstand the elements outside on my own right now without protection, but the pine and the deciduous azalea will endure, no sweat. They are beautiful and they are fierce.

Oh and Bark Too

On a sunny, somewhat blustery day in winter, here's to some good-looking bark to lay eyes on. I'm kind of in love with the bark of a good Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia), big or small. (Below, a Bonsai version seen at Longwood Gardens. Man, if you really like a certain tree, does it ever blow you mind to see it as a Bonsai) There's something about that bark that makes me want to lay hands on it.

Something Lost

American Persimmons (Diospyrus virginiana) lost to Hurricane Irene, Brooklyn Botanic

I'd bumped into Uli once or twice since Irene blew through New York City, so I knew that there was damage in the Native Flora Garden at Brooklyn Botanic and that the American Persimmon grove with that deep-fissured bark that I'd loved so had been lost to Irene. But still it was sad to see those Persimmon logs laid so neatly outside of the closed Native Flora yesterday evening. It's a lot of work, cutting down fallen or damaged trees after a storm and it hasn't been finished yet. These are not the only trees that were lost at Brooklyn Botanic, so the arborists and the grounds crew have been plenty busy I imagine.

Below, that beautiful bark while the trees still stood.

Got Bark

Fantastic bark on a beautiful Paperbark Maple, The New York Botanical Garden

Winter might be a great time to appreciate bark, especially on a tree with such rich color and texture like the Paperbark Maple at The New York Botanical garden above, but it doesn't have to be winter for the bark of a fantastic tree to catch your eye. The bark of the American Persimmon and the Katsuratree are beautiful on any given day. I can't remember ever passing by those two trees at Brooklyn Botanic without admiring their stunning bark.































American Persimmon in Brooklyn Botanic's Native Flora Garden
























Katsuratree, outside of Japanese Garden, Brooklyn Botanic