Barking Up the Right Tree

The beauty of unclothed deciduous trees includes one of their most overlooked but dramatic features: the bark. Especially in winter the many colors, textures and patterns of bark in selected species seem to take on a whole new beauty.

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Hide CaptionShow CaptionThis Japanese stewartia has sinewy bark and grows to 30 to 40 feet tall. (Photo by Hugh Conlon)

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By Stephanie Cohen, special to HGTV.com

The Japanese stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia) is one of the most handsome large trees for the landscape. This 30- to 40-foot tree is a real specimen. It flowers in July with 2- to 3-inch blooms that are white, vase-shaped and exquisitely fragrant. In fall its long, dark green leaves may turn a myriad of fall colors, from yellow, red to reddish-purple. And in winter, stripped of leaves and flowers, it shows off its sinewy bark that exfoliates in irregular plates of tan and brown. You may have to search a little for the Japanese stewartia at good nurseries, but the hunt is worth it. USDA Zones 5 to 8.