Trees with special winter features

When King Winter is upon us again. The temperature drops, the sap flow in the trees stops and most trees lose their beauty with the fall of the leaves. But there are also trees that show their true beauty in winter. Time to take a closer look at some of those types.

Acer griseum

The Acer griseum stands out for its strongly peeling bark. It feels like paper, hence the Dutch name paper maple. The bark is cinnamon brown in color, which means that as a multi-stem solitary combined with an evergreen ground cover, it is given extra attention during the winter months. In autumn, the leaves of this tree also have a beautiful orange color. Acer griseum likes slightly acidic, well-drained soil in a slightly sheltered place in full sun or partial shade.

Acer palmatum "Sangokaku"

Those who are looking for an "eye catcher" may have already thought of the Acer palmatum "Sangokaku". This Maple is characterized by its bright red branches that certainly bring the necessary amount of color to the garden in the gray-gray winter period. It is also noticeable outside of winter because of its red-green leaves that turn crimson in autumn. Acer palmatum "Sangokaku" thrives in light shade or partial shade in a sheltered location. This solitary preferably has a moisture-containing slightly acidic soil.

Betula ermanii

The Betula ermanii is a tall tree 15 - 30 m high. He gets the Dutch name Goudberk from its yellow autumn color and yellow-white bark. Like the paper maple, the bark flakes off, as if sheets of paper had come off. Because of its great value for butterflies, this tree is also very interesting to have in the garden outside of winter. The Goudberk is best placed in an open, sunny location in a normal moist soil. This tree does not tolerate hard surfaces or soil that is too dry.

Betula utilis var. "Jacquemontii"

Another beautifull species is the Betula utilis var. Jacquemontii. It stands out with its creamy-white peeling trunk, which provides decorative added value throughout the year to the many ornamental gardens in which it is planted. The tree is very resistant to frost and tolerates semi-hardening quite well. A light spot is also preferred for this type of birch. Like Betula ermanii, this species makes a good host tree for butterflies.

Pinus bungeana

Conifers also appear to offer interesting winter characteristics. For example, the Pinus bungeana has a gracefully colored trunk that is reminiscent of the colors of camouflage clothing. We can certainly call it unique with this color palette. If you want to plant Pinus bungeana, it is best to provide a light-rich place with a well-drained, nutrient-rich and acidic to slightly acidic soil. This tree comes into its own as a solitary in parks, gardens, cemeteries, ... This graceful Pinus does not tolerate hard surfaces.

Heptacodium miconioides

Heptacodium miconioides is a beautiful, still relatively unknown deciduous shrub. It stands out for its beautiful sweetly scented white flower heads, arranged in wreaths of 7 flowers (hepta = 7), which become fleshy in late summer and turn cherry red. Very decorative plant with dark green elliptical leaves, likes a sunny position, but also does well in partial shade, although the flowering is less rich in shadier areas. This plant is very hardy. Its winter beauty is the older bark that is brown to tan in color and flakes off in long strips.

Prunus maackii "Amber Beauty"

This medium-sized tree is characterized by its semi-transparent crown and its striking golden-brown, peeling bark and branches. The leaves are finely serrated, narrow oval and have a pointed tip. This decorative tree is a good bee for bees and a good food tree for birds. Prunus "Maackii" is mainly used in streets, avenues, parks, squares and private gardens.

Platanus x acerifolia

This large deciduous tree can be recognized by its upright rounded shape and large, maple-like light green leaves. In winter we recognize it best by its graceful, flaking bark. This plane tree blooms in April and May with inconspicuous yellow male flowers and small red female flowers, followed later in the fall by spiky spherical brown fruits.

Prunus serrula

Another interesting type of Prunus is the Prunus serrula. This small tree can be recognized by its red-brown barking bark. The tree has a round semi-open crown with irregular growth and lance-shaped leaves. Prunus serrula is also a decorative tree in autumn because of the red autumn color of the leaves. This tree blooms again in the months of April-May with fairly inconspicuous cream-white flowers. The maximum height of this graceful tree is about 6-8 m. It is mainly used in avenues, streets, parks and gardens. The Prunus serrula does not tolerate hard surfaces.

Acer conspicuum "Red Flamingo"

A smaller species of Maple is this Acer conspicuum "Red Flamingo". It can be recognized by the brightly colored leaves with pink and white shades with green spots. In winter we recognize it by its graceful red branches. The Acer conspicuum "Red Flamingo" grows rather compactly to a height of up to 3 meters.

In terms of location, this Maple requires a slightly sheltered spot in the sun / partial shade in a well-drained, moist soil. This small tree / shrub is mainly used as an architectural plant or solitary in a small city park or small garden. Acer conspicuum "Red Flamingo" requires little maintenance.

Pseudocydonia sinensis

The Pseudocydonia sinensis, also known as the Chinese quince, is a very decorative fruit tree from China. His bark has a very impressive drawing with large orange and yellow spots under the loose plates of the bark. At adult height, this tree grows 5 to 6 m high and 4 m wide. In autumn, the leaves of this tree also turn a beautiful red and surprise in April / May with its pink bloom. Pseudocydonia sinensis is very hardy but requires a rich, well-drained soil in a spot in the sun.

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