Winter colors needn't be muted, dull

Ask someone to name the colors of the winter landscape and most would answer with grays, browns and other muted colors.

But given a little imagination and a little forethought, it doesn't have to be this way.

Winter color and landscape interest can come from many different plants. It can also come from different parts of plants including needles, leaves, fruits, buds and bark.

Bark is certainly one of the most durable of the winter colors. Many plants with striking bark become more vivid after the leaves fall, making them a great landscaping asset.

At the top of the list is an excellent native plant — the hardy redtwig dogwood (Cornus sericea). It has bark that turns fiery red to burgundy in the winter. It grows to 6-10 feet tall and 5-10 feet wide, but dwarf varieties are available.

The yellowtwig dogwood (Cornus sericea "Flaviramea") features long branches with striking yellow or chartreuse bark. As an added bonus, these native plants can withstand grazing by wandering deer.

Another rich red bark comes from the red birches. Eastern river birch (Betula nigra) and the western water birch (Betula occidentalis) are both covered with rich burgundy bark with interesting patterns. Many birch trees shed their bark in strips on the trunks.

Paper birch (Betula papyrifera) peels off in white strips, and yellow birch (Betula aleghaniensis) yields shiny gold bark. European white birch (Betula pendula) has a striking white bark, although the trees are short-lived in our area.

Another underutilized tree for textured bark is the true Chinese or Lacebark Elm (Ulmus parvifolia). The trunk shows a mottled bark of gray, green, orange and brown.

Two maples also show outstanding bark texture. Paperbark maple (Acer griseum) has a lovely exfoliating bark that is a rich reddish color. Coral Bark Japanese maple (Acer palmatum "Sango-kaku") has a rich orange-colored bark that is striking as the leaves fall.

Many gardeners think of crabapples (Malus) as showy spring plants, but don't overlook their fall and winter beauty as many varieties produce attractive fruit. To avoid messy fruit that covers the ground, always select those with persistent fruit that stays on the tree until the birds eat them during the winter.