Winter’s Tree Appeal
Spring, summer, and fall are not the only seasons when trees and shrubs have something to offer. We anticipate the swelling of buds and seeing the first robin, telling us that spring has arrived. We enjoy the fragrance of developing flowers, and the renewed development of leaves and needles. Suddenly, all is fresh and alive!
As summer arrives, we appreciate the cool shade and rustling leaves. We delight in the birds and squirrels as they move about.
Perhaps the most enjoyable season is in the fall as trees make preparation for dormancy and the long winters cold. Who hasn’t gone on a fall foliage drive into the country, between the hills, and along the river roads. Nothing seems as magnificent as the leaves are turning color. Every year is just a little bit different, but never seems to disappoint.
So, what does winter have to offer? Now that the flowers and leaves are no longer capturing our attention, for many of us, our eyes are drawn to interesting bark colors, textures, and patterns. Remaining fruits, berries, seeds, and cones add a little decorative color. Of course, all of this beauty is enhanced by fresh fallen snow, especially on needled evergreens and the sight of a pair of cardinals.
Bark provides many interesting features. The following are some of my favorites and may be some of yours too: River Birch has a creamy cinnamon exfoliating (peeling) bark, Shagbark Hickory has shaggy looking bark in long strips, Hackberry trees have a corky and pebbly texture, Beech trees have a smooth silvery bark, Kentucky Coffee tree has a plated and furrowed bark, Bur oak and Blue Ash have a winged or deeply furrowed corky bark on their branches. Several evergreens have reddish brown peeling bark in long strips. Some shrubs have stems of yellow or red like that found on the Red and Yellow Twig Dogwood.
Some trees produce seed pods. Catalpa pods are long and slender, while the pods of Honey Locust are brown, flat, and twisted. Kentucky Coffee tree pods look similar but are not as long or twisted. Black Locust and Red Bud trees have much smaller and thinner pods.
Ornamental Crab trees have red, yellow, and purplish fruits in various sizes. These fruits are called persistent, because they last until early spring, and often eaten by birds before they have a chance to fall from the tree.
Several shrub varieties produce colored berries along with several evergreens. The Common Yew produces red berries while Junipers are a silver blue. Red Chokeberry, Holly and Winterberry produce red berries while Japanese Barberry produce small red berries in clusters. Mountain Ash has clusters of orange berries and Black Chokeberry have black berries.
A walk in the woods, around our home landscapes or a visit to a local arboretum in the winter can be very pleasing. Many ornamental grasses and perennials enhance this experience.