Bark for Midwinter Interest

Native to the eastern U.S., B. nigra typically inhabits the banks of ponds and waterways, often where the ground is inundated for several weeks at a time.
In stark contrast to other white-barked species, trunks of B. nigra are often forked very low and are covered with large flakes of curling, blackish bark.
This tree can be found along Arboretum Creek, just east of parking lot #19 (the ‘Birch’ lot).

Native to Tasmania, Victoria, and New South Wales, E. pauciflora will often produce multiple crooked stems from near-ground level.
The trunk is smooth with a deciduous bark that is whitish-gray or pale brown and sheds from late summer to autumn to reveal yellow, bronze, or greenish patches.
While E. pauciflora is considered to be one of the hardiest species of Gum, they are still susceptible to dieback following extended periods of freezing temperatures.

As its common name indicates, this tree is native to the forests of Caucasus and northern Iran.
Mature P. persica trunks and branches develop an exfoliating bark that produces a gray, green, white and brown mosaic.
This tree is located within the bus turnaround along the south end of Arboretum Drive.

P. bungeana is a slow-growing tree that produces striking bark, smooth and exfoliating in patches. It flakes with age into small, rounded, irregular scales to reveal light-green to cream areas that darken to reddish-brown and gray-green over time.
Two specimens are located in the north Pinetum along 26th Avenue East.

It has been said that Stewartia holds interest in every season of the year, whether for their leaves, flowers, or for their handsome bark.
Native to Korea and South Japan, S. monadelpha is a columnar, deciduous tree that can grow to 80 feet tall.
This specimen and others closely related can be found along Arboretum Drive, just south of the Camellias.

University of Washington Botanic Gardens