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Winter Interest Plants, Part II- My Favorite Winter Trees

© Wesley Ford

It is winter and our trees have shed their luxuriant summer dress to reveal a drab and meager winter form, often coarse, dull and seemingly lifeless. Alas we sit in our homes and offices and peer out at dreary landscapes made up of skeletons that seem to add to the chilling temperatures.

Then there are those trees, denizens of the landscape, who don't reveal their true wondrous nature until they are naked as a jaybird. When in full and glorious leaf we have little inkling of the delicate personalities they harbor. Two of my favorites in this category are the hornbeam (Carpinous and hop-hornbeam(Ostrya). Both are small sized trees but have very different natures.

Carpinous Caroliniana is an American native commonly called blue beech or muscle wood. Each of these common names affords a glimpse into the appearance of this tree. It is these characteristics that give the tree its winter interest. The thin smooth bark is bluish gray in color and has striations of dark gray, bordering on black. This tightly stretched skin covers a wood that grows in a fluted pattern giving the trunk and branches a sinewy appearance, as if the tree was in a constant flex of hard lean muscle. It is this crisp, hard, cold appearance that one notices about this tree in winter, even at a distance. And, it is this stark silhouette that we don't notice when the tree is in full leaf. Only when it strips, do we turn our heads and take real notice. The hornbeam will tolerate about any site, though it does prefer some soil moisture and leaf cover is somewhat sparse in dense shade. True to one of its common names, its leaves resemble those of the true beeches. C. betulus, European hornbeam is similar, but is much less US hardy, occupying a full two less hardiness zones on both ends of the scale (limited to zones 5 to 7). C. Japonica is also similar to American hornbeam but slower growing and having a broader crown. All are valuable specimens in the winter landscape.

Ostrya Virginiana is the hop-hornbeam, also known as Ironwood is another damp site plant. A small tree, moderately tolerant of shade, this tree is known for its ironhard wood. There are rumors about that chainsaw blades throw sparks when they meet up with the hop-hornbeam. However, it potential to warm the hard working woodcutter is not the source of this tree's winter interest. It is the red, shaggy bark and the devinely fine branches that set this tree apart in winter. Again this is a tree easily recognized from afar with just a minimal amount of practice. It branches at right angles with slender dark colored twigs that end in exquisite narrow, pointed buds. The trunk and larger limbs are covered by rusty, reddish brown shaggy, exfoliating bark- very attractive against winter white and gray back grounds. This is one tough tree, slow growing to 30 or 40 feet, drought and pollution tolerant, it is a real good urban performer.