Winter Stems & Bark

This is the time of year when stem coloration and interesting ornamental bark become more apparent in the drab landscape. I've preached the value of stem/bark interest for many years but that appreciation is its strongest in winter of course! Take note of the winter color provided by woody plants in your neighborhoods and along your driving routes. Above are some dogwood (Cornus) stems that Becky and Nancy were using today as part of their winter container course held over at the Horticulture Center. They had six ladies making some very neat arrangements which of course included ornamental stems, greens, grasses and dried flowers. I'll post some shots in "near future" blogs of the final products. Below is a winter shot taken at Olbrich Botanical Gardens (Madison) where the value of stem coloration on the dogwoods (Cornus), combined with ornamental grasses, makes an interesting and effective statement.

In some cases, stem coloration will vary depending on the time of year. The dogwoods shown above and many of the ornamental willows will get a more vivid coloration as the temperatures decline. In recent blogs, I've featured the 'Flame' willow (Salix hybrida 'Flame') that has green stems in summer that become increasingly orange and then bright red as we head in to the winter months. The youngest stems tend to have the best coloration which is one of the reasons to accomplish rejuventation pruning on a regular basis to remove older stems and encourage new (and hence, brighter) growth. In the case of the willows, that can grow quite large, we cut them back to 12" every March so the stem growth is always fresh, young and ready for the vivid coloration shift in 8 months. Ornamental bark can be quite variable between specimens (of the same species) and may also vary depending on the age of the specimen. If ornamental bark is something you are considering as a feature of a woody plant, check on the "progression" of interest. What I mean is that there are some woodies that have very interesting bark at a young age that ends up becoming more ordinary later in life. An example would be the castor aralia (Kalopanax pictus) to the above left that has the interesting spines as a young tree. Larger specimens, while still having interesting, furrowed bark, only have the spines on younger branches higher up in the tree. The river birch (Betula nigra 'Heritage') to the above right is another example. Younger trees have very interesting bark but become "less exfoliating" as they become large specimens. However, many woody plants will get increasingly interesting ornamental bark as the plant ages. Some examples include the three-flowered maple (Acer triflorum) to the left which I've featured every year for fall color (orange) and interesting bark. The furrowed bark becomes more interesting with each passing year. One of my favorite trees for ornamental bark can be seen to the right. This is the China Snow Peking lilac (Syringa pekinensis 'Morton') that has such a nice combination of glossy and exfoliating coppery bark that it begs attention, even when the leaves are still on the tree! I've seen larger specimens of this tree lilac elsewhere and the bark contribution seems to get better with age. Of course, I also preach that you should never select a plant for just one interesting feature. Focus on those that also offer additional interest with foliage texture, foliage color, flowers, fall color, wildlife potential, etc.

Today was a crazy day with a potentially significant snow storm looming (3-9"). By the time I blog next, I'll be able to tell you how many hours I've been involved with snow removal both at home and at work. With our Taste of Chocolate event tomorrow night, we'll get all the paths clear and safe for the event attendees to enjoy the show. At least it's not rain! Maury was running errands for us today (including stockpiling salt) and he, Gary and I met for some meetings. Rose and Urban were here continuing to paint containers (from red to yellow as seen below) and are prepping some culvert pipes for a color conversion next week too. Del's birdhouses, seen at the bottom, were picked up by Susan to go to their intended event tonight. He sure did a nice job and with the decorating help of Janice and Marianne, the birdhouses should be a resounding hit. We also saw Dr. Gredler, Vern, Bob and many others here today. To the right is the paperbark maple (Acer griseum) that while marginal for us, has few rivals for neat bark. We have two small specimens in sheltered spots but I've always been amazed by the larger specimens in warmer climates. Next week will involve some serious seed ordering and preparations for the creation of new labels on the laser engraver. My "To Do" list doesn't seem to be shrinking much yet but we'll keep plugging along.