Winter Tree Walking

There is something special about the winter season that helps me to slow down and notice the details in plants that I have overlooked before. If you had the fortune of catching José Fernández’s beautifully poetic article last week, you’ll understand my choice for brevity and pictures 😄.

Below are some high points of a walk I took this weekend in the near east side neighborhood of Woodland Park. If you enjoyed this (digital) walk today, join me in person for a winter identification walk at Jeffrey Mansion on Saturday March 16th at 11AM. Click here to learn more and get your ticket(s)!

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Witchhazel

The snow-covered flowers of the Winter blooming Jelena Witchhazel, ​Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena.’

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Horstmann’s Silberlocke Korean Fir

The upside-down new growth of Horstmann’s Silberlocke Korean Fir, ​Abies koreana ‘Horstmann’s Silberlocke.’

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Lacebark Pine

The camo-pattern in the bark of Lacebark pine, ​Pinus bungeana.

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Golden Rain Tree

The seed pods of Golden rain tree, ​Koelreuteria paniculata.

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Sapsucker Damage

Yellow-bellied sapsucker damage on the trunk of Cucumber magnolia, ​Magnolia acuminata.

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Persian Parrotia

The bark of Persian parrotia, ​Parrotia persica, a member of the Witchhazel family, native to the Middle-East, and an excellent four-season tree that deserves more use in the landscape.

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Lichen

Lichen (that stuff on trees) on the bark of Shagbark Hickory, ​Carya ovata.

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Japanese Stewartia & Echo

​The beautiful apricot underbark of Japanese stewartia, ​Stewartia pseduocamellia (framing my best friend Echo).

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English Boxwood

The variegated foliage of English boxwood, ​Buxus sempervirens ‘Variegata.’

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Holly & Birch

The bright fruit of Red Sprite winterberry holly, ​Ilex verticillata ‘Red Sprite’ and the silvery white stems of Royal Frost birch, ​Betula x ‘Royal Frost.’

Paperbark Maple

The magnificent exfoliating bark of Paperbark maple, ​Acer griseum.

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Shelf Fungi

Shelf fungi on the buttress roots of White Ash, ​Fraxinus americana.

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Skylands Oriental Spruce

The green and yellow variegated foliage of Skylands Oriental spruce, ​Picea orientalis ‘Skylands.’

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Coral Bark Japanese Maple

The red bark of the Coral bark Japanese maple, ​Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku.’ I couldn’t get the sunlight to cooperate with me for this picture but this tree is a looker and the bright young stems really stand out on a grey winter day.

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American Holly

The glossy green leaves and bright red fruit of American Holly, ​Ilex opaca.

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Hackberry

The close-up view of Hackberry bark, ​Celtis occidentalis. This picture reminds me of the Grand Canyon. When I look at it, I can imagine tiny people on little pack mules traveling along the ridges.

Click here to learn more and get your ticket(s) for my upcoming winter identification walk at Jeffrey Mansion on Saturday March 16th at 11AM.

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TJ Nagel | Regional Manager, Russell Tree Experts

ISA Certified Arborist® OH-6298A // Graduated from The Ohio State University in 2012, Earned B.S. in Agriculture with a major in Landscape Horticulture and minor in Entomology // Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ) // Russell Tree Experts Arborist Since 2010