Beauty without foliage: attractive trees and plants for the wintery garden

Some of the deciduous trees and plants are characterized by their attractive bark or interestingly coloured twigs. The colour of the bark and twigs varies from yellow, red, yellow-orange-red, green, reddish-brown to felt-like grey. The colours work especially well in interaction with the snow.

This winter aspect should not be disregarded and is of great interest for the design of the garden since trees remain bare for more than half a year in our latitudes. 

Not only the colours of the bark are a real eye-catcher, but also the special characteristics: the Acer griseum, Betula nigra and Parrotia persica are peeling, the Gleditsia triacanthos is “decorated” with prickles or thorns  and the  Salix matsudana `Tortuosa´ or Salix sachalinensis `Sekka´ have twisted twigs and special forms of branches.

Red Twigs

Image: top left: Cornus alba `Elegantissima´, bottom left: Cornus alba `Sibirica´, right Acer palmatum `Sangokaku´

• Tilia platyphyllos `Rubra´ - Red-twigged lime with loosely overhanging growth, in the winter with coral red coloured twigs 

Most striking cultivars in small trees and shrubs: 

• Acer palmatum `Sangokaku´ or  Acer palmatum `Winter Fire´ -  particularly striking colouring of the 2- to 4-year-old twigs 
• Cornus alba `Sibirica´ (2- to 4-year-old twigs). Also with a beautiful red colouring: the cultivar: `Spaethii´ and `Elegantissima´ 

The shrubs: 

• Cornus stolonifera `Kelsey´ –  intensively red twigs – annual pruning necessary

Important for all Cornus cultivar: regular thinning out, since the 2- to 4-year-old shoots have the strongest colouring

Yellow twigs or bark

Image: Salix alba `Tristis´

The most striking cultivar: 

• Salix alba `Tristis´ – bright yellow to yellow-green branches  
• Cornus stolonifera `Flaviramea´ – yellow twigs, especially the 2- to 4-year-old shoots (regular thinning out necessary) 
• Hydrangea quercifolia – yellow-brown bark, scales off in flakes

Green Bark / Twigs 

Image: Euonymus alatus

Following shrubs have a striking green bark:

• Acer pensylvaticum and Acer rufinerve – green bark with white stripes 
• Kerria japonica – fresh green shoots
• Euonymus in cultivar – green twigs, partly with distinctive corky ridges 
• Cytisus scoparius and Hybrids – dark green shoots 

Red-brown Bark

Image: Pinus sylvestris, Betula nigra and Taxodium distichum

Trees and shrubs with interesting red-brown bark

• Acer griseum – cinnamon-red bark, scales off in flakes of bark  
• Prunus serrula – shiny mahogony-red bark, very striking
• Pinus sylvestris – red-brown-grey bark – peels and cracks lengthways  
• Taxodium distichum – red-brown bark – peeling 
• Shrubs: Stephanandras incisa `Crispa´ – red-brown twigs

White Bark

Image: Betula jacquemontii

Following birch cultivars are characterized by a particularly distinctive white bark:

• Betula papyrifera – shimmering cream-white horizontal stripes, peels off in rings, therefore varying white and salmon tones 
• Betula pendula – white with black cracks, often with black bark when older 
• Betula ermanii – white, fine peeling - Betula jacquemontii – shimmering white, peels in papery flakes

Our tip: 

All bushes can be stimulated to new shoot growth by pruning strongly in spring. The new twigs will show the typical original bark colour in the following year. You can find additional information in the Lorenz von Ehren catalogue, 3rd edition, in the planning tips, table 27. 

Additional Pictures:

Image: Prunus serrula and Betula ermanii

Image: Prunus serrula / Prunus mackii / Parrotia persicae

Image: Acer palmatum `Sangokaku´

Image: Acer palmatum `Sangokaku´

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