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White barked maple tree


Trees with white bark: 10 varieties to bring contrast

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Trees with white bark are a beautiful addition to the garden at any time of year, however, it is in winter when they truly come alive. Set against the barren garden, the white bark becomes almost translucent, radiating a glow that will brighten every plot. 

Standing in stark contrast to the greens and browns that define the garden's color palette, trees with white bark particularly pop when paired with plants with red and orange leaves and stems. So, whether you plant one statement tree or incorporate several into your backyard ideas, you will fall in love with the interesting colors and textures that they bring.

'Trees with white bark are less common than trees with dark bark, but they can be a stunning addition to a yard or landscape. When you scan a treeline, white bark trees always grab your attention,' says Shelby DeVore, the founder of Farminence .

Trees with white bark

With so many different options from which to choose, selecting the right trees with white bark for your garden can seem like a daunting prospect.  

Before choosing a tree, pick the spot or spots where you want to grow trees with white bark. The location and conditions of the site will influence which tree will grow best in your plot. If you are looking for trees for privacy and screening, then also factor in how many trees are required, the distance needed between them, and where they need to be placed to offer privacy.

Having chosen your spot, then you can choose your tree. Be sure to take into account your gardens soil type and the growing zone in which you live when researching trees with white bark.

Once you've picked your tree and it's arrived at your home, you need to plant it. To do this, it is vital that you know how to plant a tree as this will give your new garden addition the greatest chance of success. 

'Plant trees with white bark in front of evergreens to show off their statement bark. Grow white flowered shrubs, perennials and annuals to echo the bark – repeating the color from one plant or item to another helps provide balance and unity in the landscape,' advises arborist Melinda Myers .

1. Snakebark Maple (Acer tegmentosum 'White Tigress')

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If you're looking for striking trees with white bark then Snake Bark maple trees are a must have addition that brings both color and texture to your garden.

A variety of acer, these Japanese maple trees are characterised by the veining that runs the length of their trunks. There are several different varieties including Acer tegmentosum 'White Tigress' and Acer davidii 'Viper', both of which are characterised by green and silvery-white striated bark.

Another benefit of these pretty trees are that they are one of the easiest trees with white bark to grow, so long as they are planted in a sheltered spot with partial shade.

2. Weeping cherry tree (Prunus pendula)

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There is never a time of year when the weeping cherry is not putting on a show. In spring, it hosts a profusion of pink blossoms, in summer its dark green leaves shine in the sunlight and throughout fall and winter, its captivating white bark offers a centerpiece to a winter garden.

Easy to care for 'its drooping branches do not require pruning and will grow up to 25 feet high and 12 feet wide,' says Lindsey Hyland, gardening expert and founder of Urban Organic Yield . As well as it's pretty white bark, the weeping cherry is also one of our favorite trees with red berries, producing a fruit that is great for feeding birds in winter.

3. Japanese White Birch (Betula platyphylla var. japonica)

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Birch trees are the most iconic trees with white bark, and while we all instantly think of the Silver Birch or the Paper Bark birch, there are actually numerous different varieties all offering their own unique colors and textures. One such tree is the Japanese White Birch.

As its name suggests, the Japanese White birch is native to Japan and is surprisingly hardy, thriving in growing zones 3 to 8. It will do best in well-drained soil in a spot that receives full-sun and a little shade in the afternoon and in ideal conditions it can reach up to 50 feet tall.  

When growing trees with white bark, also think about the plants with which you are surrounding your tree. Trees with white bark always pop against red, so why not set your birch tree against red maple trees or surround them with fiery red cornus for an eye-catching display that will ignite your winter garden ideas.

4. Ghost gum (Corymbia aparrerinja)

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If you live in warmer climes, namely zones 9 and 10, then the Ghost gum is a great choice. 'It's a very tough and hardy plant that's well-suited to coastal areas. It's resistant to drought, pests, diseases, and other issues that can be detrimental to less hardy landscaping trees,' says Shelby DeVore.

Native to Australia, the Ghost gum gets its name from its striking white trunk which gives the tree an almost ghostly appearance. However, its white bark isn't the only thing that makes this tree a characterful addition to the garden. 

Offering year round interest its one of the best evergreen trees for gardens as 'when the tree is hit with frost, its deep green, waxy leaves turn a deep purple,' continues Shelby, 'the tree also blooms late in the fall, when most other plants are settling in for the winter. '

5. Aspen (Populus tremula)

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The American aspen is known by many names including the quaking aspen or trembling aspen. Regardless of what you call it, everyone can agree that this tree is a beautiful addition to the backyard. 

However, it is in fall that these trees with white bark really earn their place in the garden landscape. As the weather starts to turn, their green leaves ignite in a flurry of yellow and orange, providing a stark contrast to the white bark below. It is this stunning display that makes them one of the best trees for autumn color.

However, the American aspen's beauty comes at a price as this tree requires very specific conditions in order to thrive. 'It grows best at high elevations (over 2,000 feet), and can't tolerate summer temperatures over 85 degrees. It's a great option for people living in mountain terrain looking for a special tree to add to the landscape,' says Shelby DeVore 'Their tall, narrow shape won't provide much shade but lining them up and creating a border or treeline is very appealing. In ideal conditions, these trees are fast-growing and can grow up to four feet each year.'

6. River Birch (Betula nigra)

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A unique tree in the garden, the River Birch offers a fascinating combination of texture and color. 'With its showy cinnamon colored bark that peels off to reveal shades of creamy white and beige, it's not hard to see why birch trees are loved by home gardeners,' says Nikki McAteer from Perfect Plants Nursery .

As an American native, the River Birch is a great addition to the garden and one that supports wildlife and natural ecosystems, offering a place for nesting birds and insects alike. Its fast growth rate makes it one of the best trees for privacy and screening in a backyard, too. 

7. Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

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Not all trees with white bark have the same snowy complexion as the birches and aspen. The white bark of the sycamore is uniquely patterned, offering a camouflage mix of whites and greens that bring instant character to the garden.  

'An American native, the Sycamore's upper branches will turn very light green, almost white as the tree grows,' says Blythe Yost, CEO of the online landscape design company Tilly , 'Sycamores like wet soils and can be found often on river banks'.

8. Himalayan Birch (Betula utilis jacquemontii)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

If you're looking for the birch trees with the whitest bark, then the Himalayan birch is the tree for you. As its name suggests it is native to the Himalayas and its snowy white bark peels back each year to reveal the new layer below. While this new bark starts off yellowy, it ages to become a show-stopping white color.

9. Silver Birch (Betula pendula)

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

If you're looking for the most versatile of the trees with white bark, then the silver birch tree is your best option. 

'A great choice for both large and small gardens, silver birch trees are tolerant of most conditions and does best in a moist soil,' says Period Living's garden expert Leigh Clapp.  When young, the trees bark appears redder, slowly peeling off and changing to the classic white as the tree matures.

Silver birch trees are also some of the best trees to grow in pots as the container stunts the trees growth, resulting in a perfectly formed yet smaller variety. These are perfect for adding shade and screening to a patio. However, if growing a silver birches in pots, then it is important to keep them well watered as they are very thirsty plants.

10. Paper Bark Birch (Betula papyrifera)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

A native tree, the paper birch is a popular choice for homeowners looking for trees with white bark to add to their garden. Growing moderately fast (up to 2 feet per year) and reaching 70 feet at maturity, it is a great choice if you are looking for best trees for privacy and screening. 

'This tree is also brilliant for gardeners who are interested in encouraging wildlife into the gardens as the paper birch will provide food and habitat for numerous species of birds, moose, white-tailed deer, and small mammals,' says Shelby.

Why are some trees white?

Some trees are white because they have naturally white bark. The white color helps to protect the tree against damage from the sun by reflecting the light rather than absorbing it and its heat. 

However, some trees are white because they have been painted white. Far from being an aesthetic choice, painting trees white is actually very beneficial to the tree for much the same reason that trees have naturally white bark. The white paint helps to reflect the sunlight and heat and thus keep the tree cooler and reduce the effects of sun damage.

Painting trees is a particularly popular practice in areas with high temperatures and high UV-indices. If you are painting your trees, it is important to use a white latex rather than oil-based paint, as an oil-based paint will cause more harm than good. 

What trees have white bark?

The weeping cherry tree, Japanese white birch, gum trees, Himalayan birch, Paper Bark birch and Aspen are all trees that have white bark. All of these trees have the classic white trunk that appears to glow in the sunlight and catches the eye on a frosty morning.

Another tree with white bark is the silver poplar, which is also called the white poplar. 'Frequently used in landscaping, white poplars are not a good choice for the garden,' says Shelby DeVore. 'They are an invasive species and in numerous states.  In fact, it's illegal to possess or own them. Silver poplars are notorious for spreading and creating invasive colonies.  The aggressive way that they reproduce and their fast growth rate means that they often out-compete native trees and become a nuisance plant.' Therefore, it is best to avoid planting silver or white poplar trees in your garden.

Having graduated with a first class degree in English Literature, Holly started her career as a features writer and sub-editor at Period Living magazine, Homes & Gardens' sister title. Working on Period Living brought with it insight into the complexities of owning and caring for period homes, from interior decorating through to choosing the right windows and the challenges of extending. This has led to a passion for traditional interiors, particularly the country-look. Writing for the Homes & Gardens website as a content editor, alongside regular features for Period Living and Country Homes & Interiors magazines, has enabled her to broaden her writing to incorporate her interests in gardening, wildlife and nature. 

What Are the Colors of Maple Tree Bark? | Home Guides

By Lori Norris

The leaves of many maples are usually the scene stealers, with their great variety of colors and shapes and often spectacular fall color. However, the bark can be quite attractive and interesting as well. While some maples produce the typical grays and browns of most trees, some have green, red, and even striped bark. A few even produce richly colored exfoliating bark that curls and peels on the trunk and the thicker branches. These colors add dimension to the landscape and extend the season of interest all the way into the winter months.

Striped Bark

  1. Some of the most fascinating barks are produced by the snakebark maples. The Manchurian striped maple (Acer tegmentosum) has greenish-brown bark with grayish striping, and David’s maple (Acer davidii) is similar but tends to retain more green color. Kyushu maples (Acer capillipes) produce a striped pattern but also show tiny rusty-orange spots on the bark surface. Redvein maples (Acer rufinerve) produce olive striped bark when young, but as the tree matures, the overall color is browner. All of these species originate in the same geographic area of Asia, and all are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9.

Red or Orange Bark

  1. While many varieties of Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) bear red to orange bark, by far the most well-known is the variety “Sango Kaku.” It produces bark that ranges from bright red to coral to dark pinkish-red and is breathtaking when new chartreuse leaves emerge in spring. Other varieties produce red bark but are not as well-known, such as the varieties “Beni Kawa” and “Japanese Sunrise. ” Japanese maples are hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9. Other lesser-known species and cultivars develop red to orange bark, such as the “Alice” Forrest’s maple (Acer forrestii “Alice”), which also produces striped bark and is hardy in USDA zones 6 through 10; and “Pacific Fire” vine maple (Acer circinatum “Pacific Fire”), hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8.

Green or Yellow Bark

  1. Although yellow isn’t a common color for bark in any genus, there are a couple of maples that sport yellow bark. “Bihou” produces yellow bark with a red blush, and “Yellow Bird” has young bark that is yellow. Both are Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) and are hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9. Green bark is more common, and vine maple (Acer circinatum, hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8) retains its green color until maturity. A few Japanese maple varieties possess light green bark, such as “Aoyagi” and “Aocha Nishiki,” and are wonderful as complements to the red-barked trees. Like other Japanese maples, they are hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9.

Brown or Gray Bark

  1. Most maples, as they mature, eventually form brown or gray bark. Sometimes the bark on young trees is also gray or brown. Young sugar maples (Acer saccharum) have blotchy gray bark with patches of white, while young Norway maple bark (Acer platanoides) can vary from brown to gray. Both are hardy in USDA zones 3 through 8. Young red maples (Acer rubrum) have smooth gray bark, and paperbark maple (Acer griseum) has attractive reddish-brown bark that exfoliates, leaving behind smooth, shiny new bark. Both are hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8. Field maples (Acer campestre) produce an interesting corky brown bark and are hardy in USDA zones 5 through 8.

References

Writer Bio

Lori Norris has been writing professionally since 1998, specializing in horticulture. She has written articles for the Oregon Landscape Contractors Association, chapters of the certification manual for the Oregon Association of Nurseries and translated master gardener materials into Spanish. Norris holds a Bachelor of Arts from Linfield College.

White maple: tree description

White maple is a deciduous tree from the salind family, belongs to the genus maple. This type of maple is also called false sycamore or sycamore.

Description of white maple

This deciduous tree with a spreading and dense spherical crown reaches 20–40 m in height.

Source: Depositphotos

Maple is an ornamental tree with medicinal properties that are used in folk medicine

Botanical description of the tree:

White maple tree: where it grows and is used

Sycamore is popular due to its unpretentiousness and increased growth: it grows up to 80 cm in height and up to half a meter in width in a year. This variety of maple is common in North America, Northern Europe and Iceland.

This slender tree is valued for its white and wear-resistant wood, which is used to create stringed musical instruments: violin, harp, domra, as well as in the furniture industry and for the manufacture of parquet. nine0003

This species of maple is also cultivated for ornamental purposes in parks and gardens, and grows equally in ecologically clean areas and in polluted urban areas. Maple belongs to light-loving trees, withstands strong gusts of wind, and is resistant to dirt and salt from winter city roads.

Selection of seedling

The future condition of the tree is influenced by the seedling you have chosen for planting. It is better, of course, to purchase seedlings in a nursery. Some gardeners believe that it is better to choose a seedling that is more than four years old, because it will take root faster. But it's not always the case. For example, in very young plants, the root system can be many times better than in a grown one. This is due to the fact that for nurseries, seedlings are not pulled out manually, but with the help of equipment. Naturally, in the process of digging up the roots of an already grown seedling, they can be more damaged. nine0003

What to consider when buying planting material:

Growing

This plant loves light and warmth. Therefore, choose a sunny place with fertile soil for planting a young white maple. But a few years after planting, you will need to shade the seedlings, otherwise they will lose their decorative effect. nine0003

Source: Depositphotos

Prepare the planting site 2-3 weeks before planting white maple

Dig a 50 x 70 cm planting hole and add a mixture of earth and humus to it. In general, it depends on the variety and type of maple, which fertilizers and in what quantity should be added. So focus on these characteristics. Young trees should be planted at a distance of 2-4 m from each other. But if you want to create a hedge of trees, then reduce the distance to two meters. nine0003

Do not bury the plant when planting - the root collar should be at the level of the soil. During irrigation, the earth itself will settle by 15–20 cm. If the groundwater table is low on the site, then pour crushed stone into the planting pit.

Only planted white maple should be watered frequently and abundantly. In hot weather - once a week. The water should soak the ground to 50 cm.

Maintenance

White maple must be cared for as you plant it in your garden for ornamental purposes. nine0003

  1. Water the plant regularly. Abundant watering is a guarantee that the plant will not lose its decorative qualities. In spring and autumn, water the maple tree once a month with 15–20 liters of water. In summer, you need to increase the number to four times. But only planted plants need to be watered with even more water: from 40 liters or more.
  2. Loosen the soil immediately after watering.
  3. Remove weed plants.
  4. Feed the plants once a year. In the first year, you do not need to fertilize, because you have already applied top dressing to the planting hole. But after a year, apply fertilizer: superphosphate, potassium salts or urea. nine0020
  5. Trim dead, damaged or diseased branches.

Properties and recipes

White maple leaves contain substances that can remove excess fluid from the body, improve gallbladder function and quickly heal wounds. They also have antiseptic properties.

You can also simply chew the leaves for 25 minutes. This will help cure stomatitis, gums and pharyngitis. Before this, wash the leaves and chop.

To speed up the healing of wounds, you can make a lotion from the leaves. To do this, rinse the leaves, chop and put the resulting slurry in cheesecloth. nine0003

Tincture is good for bronchitis. Take a few leaves, pour 300 ml of water and boil for one minute. Then let the drink cool and strain it. Take 100 ml of medicine before meals. The course lasts 30 days. If it does not help, then take a break for 10 days and continue treatment.

Harvest from spring or autumn: dry the leaves and then store in a cool, dark place.

See also: How to grow home maple at home

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White maple wood: description, purpose, properties

Botanical name: White maple or sycamore (lat. Acer pseudoplatanus) of the Sapindaceae family (lat. Sapindaceae) of the class Magnoliopsida (lat. Magnoliópsida).

Distribution area

The white maple is endemic to Central Europe and Western Asia. It is widely represented in the south of the mountainous regions of northern Spain and Italy. The range extends from France to the east - to Ukraine, to the north - to Turkey and the Caucasus. It is currently naturalized in other parts of Europe, the British Isles, North America, Australia and New Zealand, where it may become an invasive species. nine0003

Morphological description of the species

This is a large, deciduous tree 20-35 m high. The branches form a wide, rounded crown. In a young tree, the bark is gray, smooth, then coarsens with age, flakes off and exposes the pale brown, closer to pinkish, inner layers of the bark, forming irregular spots.

Leaves opposite, palmate, with 5 large lobes, on long petioles 5 to 15 cm long, without stipules. The leaf is usually dark green in color, 7-16 cm long. nine0003

Monoecious, yellow-green flowers of 20 to 50 flowers appear in spring on hanging racemes 10-20 cm long. Most of the inflorescences are formed from a mixture of male and female flowers. The flowers are fragrant and produce nectar to attract pollinating insects.

Fruits are winged nuts (lionfish), with seeds 5-10 mm in diameter, each with a long wing 20-40 mm. The seeds are arranged in pairs on the tree. At first green, when ripe in autumn they turn brown, after which the pair separates and, when falling, the lionfish rotates in a spiral, catching the wind. nine0116

White maple (Sycamore) wood features

The sapwood color ranges from white to light golden or reddish brown. Whereas, the heartwood is usually darker, red-brown. The pattern is also accentuated with curly or quilted grain structures.

The grain is generally straight, but may also be wavy. The texture is fine-grained with a good natural sheen.

The wood is hard (1050 lb Janke hardness), heavy (specific gravity 615 kg/m3), dense, resilient, easy to work with, fairly resistant to insects. nine0003


White maple wood

Used in the production of veneer, furniture, lining, plywood, parquet, for carving.

Learn more