Winter Appeal

In the Garden with Andrew

Andrew Bunting. Photo courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

Over the years, I have attempted to be increasingly mindful of adding plants to the garden that will provide winter interest. Fortunately, in this area we have abundant choices. There are many great broad-leaved and coniferous evergreens. There are different kinds of winterberry hollies, which lose their leaves to reveal ornamental berries. And the brilliant winter stems of some shrubby dogwoods provide stunning winter color. I am especially a fan of trees with attractive flaking or peeling bark.

If I could choose only one tree for its winter appeal, it would have to be the paperbark maple, Acer griseum. This Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Medal recipient is stunning year-round. Its coppery, peeling bark, which looks great in all seasons, has the textural quality of shaved chocolate. In the fall, the foliage turns brilliant shades of orange, red, and yellow. In winter, the naked stems, branches, and trunk are truly stunning. At the end of the patio at my home garden, a 20-year-old specimen, which is about 20 feet tall and wide, stands against a dark evergreen backdrop of the Japanese red-cedar, Cryptomeria japonica ‘Yoshino’. 

The paperbark maple, stunning year-round, is unmatched for winter interest. (Heronswood, Washington State.) Photo: Andrew Bunting

Acer griseum is relatively slow growing. But Acer ‘Cinnamon Flake’ and Gingerbread are faster-growing hybrids of Acer griseum and a related species, A. nikoense. The resulting trees have bark similar to paperbark maples. I have seen ‘Gingerbread’ used as a small street tree in Atlanta. Another Acer griseum relative is the three-flowered maple, Acer triflorum. Its bark still peels, but its color is more tawny-golden, and its fall foliage is brilliant orange.

The river birch, Betula nigra, has been a popular medium-to-large ornamental tree for at least 30 years. Betula nigra Heritage, also a PHS Gold Medal recipient, was the first of its cultivars to be promoted. This very fast growing tree can gain 5 to 6 feet a year when it is young. The peeling bark has tones of brown, cream, and even pink. The small leaves turn golden yellow in the fall. Furthermore, it is a versatile tree. As the common name implies, it can grow in standing water and along streams and rivers. But it can also flourish in dry and urban soils. As it grows, the lower branches should be limbed up to reveal the attractive bark.

The river birch does have shortcomings. It can be messy, shedding small branches during windstorms. It can drop its leaves due to a leaf miner. It’s a good idea to avoid planting it next to a patio or deck, but it makes a great focal point in the garden. It can work best in a mass planting, as part of a tapestry of perennials and shrubs. And it can be cultivated as either a single-trunked or a multi-stemmed tree, the latter being especially ornamental. Heritage is a good choice for the Mid-Atlantic states, but if heat tolerance is a consideration — in Southern states or under urban conditions — then Dura Heat is recommended. The diminutive Little King, which only reaches 15 feet tall and wide at maturity, is a great choice for gardens with limited space.

While most crape myrtles are primarily grown for their array of flower colors, many have exceptional bark with mosaic-like patterns. The Japanese crape myrtle, Lagerstroemia fauriei, is desirable for its exquisite, flaking cinnamon bark that reveals beautifully smooth trunks. Like other crape myrtles, L. fauriei thrives in full sun and is very tolerant of urban conditions, making it a good choice for a medium-sized street tree. ‘Townhouse’ and ‘Fantasy’ are both great selections. Ultimately, the Japanese crape myrtle becomes an upright, vase-shaped tree reaching up to 30 feet tall. When it is young, its branches should be regularly pruned to continue exposing its amazing coppery bark.

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Andrew Bunting is vice president of public horticulture at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and vice president of the Swarthmore Horticultural Society.