The bark of some trees can only be appreciated when the forest is absent of green vegetation. For texture it is hard to beat river birch (Betula nigra) with its flaking sheets of gray, brown, salmon, peach orange or lavender bark. A close second is the American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) with its patchy white and brown cover. Colors in Winter can surprise as illustrated by the red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea) as its vibrant red branches stand out from its often gray neighboring plants. But just don’t keep your eyes high or you will miss the aptly named Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), which stays fresh looking throughout the Winter and dies back in early Spring.
