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Browse Plants

Narrowed By:Uses: Focal Point, Roadside + Characteristics: Interesting Bark
Displaying 1 - 20 of 34 listings   1 | 2View AllNext > Sort By: Sort
Acer griseum Acer griseum
(Paperbark maple)
(2 user reviews)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This slow-growing understory tree has highly ornamental, peeling orange-cinnamon bark. Its dark green, three-lobed leaves turn a brilliant orange-red in autumn.

Acer triflorum Acer triflorum
(Three-flower maple)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This broadly columnar to spreading tree has peeling brown bark, three-palmate mid-green leaves, and brilliant orange-red fall foliage. It grows up to 30 feet tall and 25 feet wide.

no image available Arbutus unedo 'Elfin King'
(Strawberry tree)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This picturesque tree has rough, shredding, red-brown bark and glossy green leaves. It produces small white flowers followed by spherical, warty, reddish fruit.

Calycanthus floridus Calycanthus floridus
(Carolina allspice, Strawberry shrub, Common sweetshrub)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This deciduous shrub has a dense, rounded habit, growing 6 to 9 feet tall and as wide. Its unusual, waterlily-like, fragrant flowers combine the scent of strawberries, banana, and pineapple. Flowers appear in May and continuing blooming on and off into June and July. The dark green leaves and bark release a clove or camphor-like scent when crushed.

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Aurea' Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Aurea'
(Hinoki cypress)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Hinoki cypress is a conical, evergreen, coniferous tree with leaves that are actually minute scales on tiny branches in the form of fans. The outer foliage of 'Aurea' is golden and the inner is green. Growth can be slow. Use as a specimen or use several as screening.

Cladrastis lutea Cladrastis lutea
(Yellowwood)
(3 user reviews)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Yellowwood is a vase-shaped spreading tree with dark green foliage that turns a delicate yellow or orange in the fall and smooth light gray bark. Breathtaking, pendulous, foot-long, wisteria-like clusters of fragrant white flowers appear in late spring and early summer, often in alternate years.

Cornus alba 'Elegantissima' Cornus alba 'Elegantissima'
(Redtwig dogwood, Cream-edge tatarian dogwood)
(2 user reviews)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This vigorous deciduous shrub provides a long season of interest in the garden with its variegated leaves, attractive berries, pretty fall color, and red winter stems.

Cornus florida Cornus florida
(Flowering dogwood)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This native flowering tree is best known for its early spring blossoms, which are actually yellowish green flowers clustered in the center of four showy, white to pink bracts 1-1/2 to 2 inches long. Clusters of four bright red fruits mature in early fall, often persisting into the beginning of winter. 

Ginkgo biloba Ginkgo biloba
(Maidenhair tree)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

One of the oldest tree species on the planet, ginkgo grows only about a foot a year, reaching 50 to 80 feet. Female trees set fleshy fruit that smell unpleasant as they decay; they contain edible nuts.

Halesia carolina Halesia carolina
(Carolina silverbell)
(1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Carolina silverbell is a handsome tree with clean green foliage and an upright spreading habit. In mid- or late spring, hundreds of silvery-white bell-shaped flowers dangle from every branch before foliage emerges. The tree also has attractive bark, unusual four-winged seedpods, and yellow fall color.

Heptacodium miconioides Heptacodium miconioides
(Seven-son flower)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

The tiered branches of this fast-growing species are covered with white blossoms for over a month, starting in late summer. The flowers fade to reveal fuchsia calyxes that persist well into autumn. The pale, peeling bark can be exposed by pruning the lower branches of the interior. Although the form of the species is variable (single or multi-stemmed), it can usually be pruned into an elegant vase-shaped specimen, or maintained as a shrub.

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snow Queen’ Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snow Queen’
(Oakleaf hydrangea)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This cultivar produces 8-inch-long, conical flower heads from early summer on. It is as notable for its distinct, deeply lobed leaves as for its reliably showy, creamy blooms. The foliage produces outstanding fall color and the flowers take on purplish-pink hues when dried.

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snowflake’ Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snowflake’
(Oakleaf hydrangea)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This cultivar has large flowerheads of intricate double blossoms layered on top of one another. It is as notable for its distinct, deeply lobed leaves as for its reliably showy, creamy blooms. The foliage produces outstanding fall color, and the flowers take on purplish-pink hues as they dry. 

Hypericum frondosum ‘Sunburst’ Hypericum frondosum ‘Sunburst’
(St. John's wort)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This is a small, upright, mounded, deciduous shrub with attractive, flaking reddish-brown bark on mature stems and striking, linear to oblong blue green leaves. Midsummer to early autumn, this plant bears golden yellow flowers with striking, bushy center stamens. Reddish-brown fruit capsules ripen in September and persist well into the winter. St. John's wort excels in the Midwest.

no image available Laburnum × watereri
(Golden chain tree)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Dense clusters of pendulous yellow flowers dangle from spreading branches in late spring. Leaves are dark green. Smooth green bark adds some winter interest.

Lagerstroemia fauriei Lagerstroemia fauriei
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This is a fast-growing, upright deciduous tree with delicate white flowers in early summer. As it matures, it develops a spectacular patchwork of bark in shades of gray, maroon, and brown. Oblong dark green leaves turn red-orange in autumn. Cultivar 'Fantasy' is vigorous and hardier than the species, with exceptional bark.

Lagerstroemia indica Lagerstroemia indica
(Crape myrtle)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Crape myrtle is an upright deciduous tree or large shrub. Dark green leaves emerge bronze. White, pink, red, or purple flowers appear from summer to autumn. Peeling gray-and-brown bark is attractive. 

no image available Larix kaempferi
(Japanese larch)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Fissured and scaly bark bark is tinted rust-brown in winter. Purplish red winter shoots are covered in a waxy bloom. Gray-green or bluish green leaves grow to 1.5 inches long.

Metasequoia glyptostroboides Metasequoia glyptostroboides
(1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This deciduous, monoecious, coniferous tree grows to 100 feet tall. Its oddly shaped, branch-pitted trunk is often deeply fluted and "buttressed" and has orange-brown bark. Attractive, lacy foliage is bright green in early summer, turning golden bronze before falling in autumn. Female cones are light brown and ovoid, while male cones are rounder, pendent, and darker brown.

Oxydendrum arboreum Oxydendrum arboreum
(Sourwood)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Sourwood, the lone species of the genus, is found in woodlands and along streams of eastern North America. This plant (named for the sour taste of its leaves) forms a pyramidal tree to 30 feet tall, with canoe-shaped, glossy leaves that turn vivid maroon, yellow, or purple in autumn. In late summer, its delicate panicles of fragrant, urn-shaped flowers spray forward, decorating the tree in white. The blossoms, which resemble lily-of-the-valley, are followed by yellowish seed capsules that turn brown and persist into winter. It makes an outstanding specimen both for a prominent position and also for a naturalized setting.


Displaying 1 - 20 of 34 listings   1 | 2View AllNext > Sort By: Sort