Barking Up The Right Tree

Aspirin is a very common medicine but most people who have taken one will be unaware that the main component of the drug – salicylic acid – derives from the bark of poplar and willow trees. Furthermore quinine, a treatment for malaria and flavouring for tonic water, comes from the outer of the tropical cinchona tree, while research continues into the health benefits of many other tree barks.

 

Cinnamon sticks are created from the peeled, rolled and dried bark stripped from the young twigs of the evergreen cinnamon tree.

 

When you uncork a bottle of wine you are seeing another creative use for a tree’s coating. Cork comes from the cork oak tree which survives stripping as long as the bark is taken from the very surface.

 

But in addition to their practical benefits, trees, plants and shrubs which have texture and colour to their surface bring aesthetic value to the landscape. While leaves and flowers fade and fall, bark remains all year long, and at this rather bleak time of year, can prove an extraordinary highlight to your garden. Many trees and shrubs have been cultivated for their attractive bark and some are suitable for even the smallest of gardens.

 

Dogwood (Cornus) is a prime example that is small enough to fit into all gardens. Producing vividly coloured stems that brighten up the darkest of days with glowing reds, oranges and yellows, no garden should be without this stunning shrub. The brightest stems come from new growth so this plant needs to be pruned almost to ground level in March. Somewhat larger, is the willow (Salix) which is also extremely attractive and needs the same heavy pruning in early spring. When pruning these plants, you can take hardwood cuttings at the same time to increase your stock.

 

Other attractive trees include our native Silver Birch. Although it is dainty looking it grows into a substantial tree and this should only be planted where you have plenty of room. Most other birch trees (Betula) have handsome bark too, but again, many grow large so look out for slow-growing, smaller varieties.

 

Some eucalyptus trees have a fine grained and decorative outer coating as do many maples, which have the added bonus of producing incredible autumn leaf colour. A particularly fine Acer is the Snake-Bark Maple (Acer capillipes), which has dramatic patterns of white vertical lines over a dark reddish green background.

 

As well as colourful bark, many trees produce intriguing textures and other interesting effects such as peeling. One of the most eye-catching of these is the Tibetan Cherry (Prunus serrula) which has the most amazing bright mahogany coloured bark that looks as if it’s been highly polished. As the tree ages, the bark peels away in strips revealing yet more of this magnificent colour.

 

Position these decorative trees and shrubs in a sunny spot if possible, so the rare, weak rays of winter sun can catch them and light them up, displaying their full magnificence. In the depths of winter, coloured and textured tree trunks or shrub stems brighten the gloom and are an important aspect of the structural planting of your garden.

 

Although our British climate isn’t able to supply you with cinnamon or quinine, many other highly ornamental and decorative trees and shrubs add plenty of fascination to your garden. It’s easy to overlook the benefits of bark.

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