The center of a tree or shrub stem (from roots to trunk, branches, and twigs) is woody, composed of xylem cells that conduct water from the roots to the upper parts of the tree. That woody section is ...

Clockwise from top left: (1) Two lodgepole pines growing side-by-side with notably different bark textures, (2) a rough-barked limber pine that has been attacked by bark beetles, (3) a limber pine ...

How can you tell it's a dogwood tree? By it's bark, of course. Long before dogwoods sprout their tell-tale blossoms in spring, wanderers in the barren woods identify these small understory trees by ...

During my first semester in college, a few years back, I had a class every Saturday at 8 a.m. Fortunately, I think, we don't have things scheduled that way now, but it was my botany lab which I ...

Just like every individual is unique, so are trees. No two trees grow at the same rate, have the same leaf pattern, or have identical bark. However, each tree species has specific characteristics that ...

During my first semester in college, a few years back, I had a class every Saturday at 8 a.m. It was a real ordeal getting there on time, and fortunately, I think, we don’t have things scheduled that ...

The reddish gray-brown bark of the red oak tree with its darker vertical markings is one of the key features to identifying the tree in winter. (Clay Wollney) Leaves are the most useful and frequently ...

Most people tend to overlook tree bark as rather uninteresting, at best. It's too bad, because bark is a fascinating and often attractive plant "invention," and is actually rather complex in its ...