There's more to trees than just pretty leaves!

If you’re struggling with year-round interest in your landscape, colorful barks, stems and trunks can make a world of difference.  Bold and unique, they are valuable as an ornamental asset to any flower or leaf.  Adding these elements into your home’s landscape can elevate it from a simple, backyard planting to a work of art.  Here are some fantastic options for adding bark to your landscape:

Paperbark Maple:

Known for it's beautiful, peeling cinnamon bark, this specimen is a handsome tree with a rounded crown and open habit.  Its soft green leaves turn scarlet in fall.  With age, it becomes distinctive, as its papery sheets of bark peel to reveal cinnamon-brown new bark.  It's excellent for a small landscape.

Height: 20-30 feet

Spread: 15-25 feet

White Himalayan Birch:
Originally discovered in the Himalayan Mountains, the Himalayan birch has very white bark...the brightest of any birch, in fact!  Large, dark green leaves turn yellow in Fall.  It has a round, open habit.

Height: 35 feet

Spread: 15-20 feet

River Birch:

As its name suggests, the river birch naturally grows along river banks.  As a landscape tree, it can be planted almost anywhere in the US.  It's unique, curling bark and spreading limbs make this a truly unique specimen.

Height: 40 feet

Spread: 40 feet

Japanese Stewartia:

A multi-stemmed, deciduous tree with a rounded columnar form, stewartia features stunning bark that exfoliates in strips of gray, orange, and reddish brown.  

Height: 15 feet

Spread: 10-15 feet

'Midwinter Fire' Dogwood:

Noted for its colorful stems and twigs in winter, Bloodtwig Dogwood 'Midwinter Fire' is a hard plant to beat for a colorful show in the winter garden.  It enjoys spectacular decorative features: a golden fall foliage followed by branches and stems that start out yellow in color at the base of the plant and gradually turn bright orange to crimson towards the top.

Height: 5-8 feet

Spread: 5-8 feet

Kousa Dogwood:

Dogwood trees are widely know for their delicate beauty.  The tree makes a visual contribution year-round.  In spring, it produces a heavenly array of star-like blooms.  In summer, its intriguing canopy of layered branches provides shade and beauty. In autumn, it offers spectacular bright red color.  Even in winter, this tree has an appeal of its own with bark that resembles a jigsaw puzzle.

Height: 15 feet
Spread: 25 feet

American Beech:

The formal and stately American beech holds a special place in many hearts.  The wide-spreading canopy provides great shade in the summer and beautiful bronze coloring in the fall.  It is a versatile tree, and offers beautiful, smooth, silver gray trunks.

Height: 30 feet

Spread: 25 feet

Crape Myrtle:

The crape myrtle is often referred to as the "lilac of the South."  With its striking flowers, handsome bark and attractive foliage, this species is a favorite for landscapes.  It features gorgeous, peeling, cinnamon colored bark.

Height: 15 feet

Spread: 6-15 feet

Holly (Ilex)

Ilex Aquifolium

There are over 700 species of hollies, consisting of both evergreen and deciduous shrubs, trees and climbers. This plant is grown for its waxy, green foliage and signature display of bright berries. Inconspicuous flowers are tiny, white, cup-shaped blooms that emerge in Spring. Most commonly used for hedges or specimen, Hollies are actually one of the more versatile plants for designing in gardens and landscapes. 

 Care

Ilex Crenata 'Steeds Upright' Holly

• Best planted in cool weather (late Fall-early Spring)
• Hollies prefer full sun, but tolerate part shade
• Require moist, slightly acidic soil that is well-drained
• Most types of holly shrubs have shallow root systems, so add mulch
• Water daily for the first week after planting, then gradually decrease as it begins to establish
• If necessary, prune in late Winter or early Spring

Do All Hollies Produce Berries?

Ilex  Verticillata 'Southern Gentleman' Winterberry

It is important to know that Hollies are dioecious—the male plants produce pollen, while female plants produce berries. A male holly should be planted within 40’ of a female plant to encourage berry production.
To ensure that you have both male and females to get berries, stick with similar varieties; male and female plants are not always labeled. Named cultivars, however, are usually found in both male and female varieties. For instance, 'Blue Prince' and 'Blue Princess', 'China Boy' and 'China Girl', or 'Blue Stallion' and 'Blue Maid'. 

A word of caution: Don't rely solely on the name of the variety. For example, the variegated golden holly varieties 'Golden King' and 'Golden Queen'-- the names are deceptive as 'Golden King' is the female plant, while 'Golden Queen' is the male.


How Can I Differentiate Between Male and Female Hollies?

Male Flower

The best way to determine the sex of holly plants is by looking at the flowers. Although the inconspicuous blooms on males and females appear nearly identical from a distance, taking a closer look will prove otherwise.

When most male holly flowers bloom, their white petals unfurl to reveal small white 'horns' (or filaments). These filaments support the anthers, which is where the pollen is stored. The tips should be yellow with pollen.

Female Flower

On the other hand, when female flowers bloom, the petals encompass what looks like a small, green berry in the center. While females also have filaments, they do not produce pollen.

For any given plant, not just hollies, there are certain factors that should always be taken into consideration: 

- What function will your plant serve: Hedging? Foundation? Specimen? With so many different varieties available, each type has something unique to offer to your landscape!

- Plan accordingly with your plant's size at maturity--plants that grow too close together will result in an ongoing competition for light, soil, nutrients and water.

- You should be aware of when your plant's bloom season is, so you can choose neighboring plants accordingly.

- As previously mentioned, it's crucial that you know whether your plant requires a pollinator so you can enjoy its colorful seasonal display! 

Need ideas for a landscape that provides year-round interest? Try planting Winterberry Hollies (Ilex Verticillata).

These deciduous hollies provide a profuse, dramatic Winter display of brightly colored berries--a refreshing seasonal pop of color to break up surrounding evergreens in the landscape.

Refer to our chart below for respective pollinators.