After the rich colors of autumn have gone, winter certainly has a hard act to follow. Without a doubt, the season doesn’t reflect a lot of life or color. There are ways to incorporate some color into your landscape during the winter months, however. By working with an Austin arborist, you can learn which trees provide color during even the dreariest of seasons. One such tree is the lacebark pine.
Though most colors are generally associated with a tree’s blooms, the lacebark pine is quite unique, as the colors that it emanates come not from a bloom, but from the tree’s trunk.
Lacebark pine is a tree with gray bark that eventually sheds in irregular patterns, revealing multiple colors, including cream, purple, yellow, and green, underneath. It is this feature that provides some much needed and often appreciated color to an otherwise bleak winter landscape.
The tree also grows dark green needles that it keeps year-round for several consecutive years before they are replaced naturally. Because of this, the constant greenery adds a touch of color to a mundane winter landscape as well.
The availability of color is amplified by yet another unique feature of the lacebark pine, multiple trunks. By the very number of trunk stems a lacebark pine has, the colorful effect of the peeling bark is quite prevalent.
Since the limbs of the tree tend to grow in an upright fashion along the entire length of the tree, some of the lower branches will likely need to be pruned to reveal the array of eye-catching colors that lie beneath. A professional Austin tree trimming professional will be a great asset in removing damaged branches, as he/she will have the knowledge and proper equipment necessary to assist with this task, especially since lacebark pines may grow up to 50 feet tall with a sizeable spread at maturity.
By and large, this species is quite resistant to insects and diseases, making it a great choice to add to any landscape. One insect it is quite susceptible to, however, is the European pine shoot moth, which is responsible for destroying new stems. An Austin tree care professional can work with you to remove limbs that are dead or dying due to an infestation, as well as to treat the infestation.
Although a lacebark pine takes many years to reach full maturity, with proper maintenance, it is capable of living for many years. Lacebark pine trees make a wonderful addition to family property, allowing generation after generation to witness their growth and longevity.
About the Author: Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading provider of Austin tree service in Central Texas. Certified ISA Austin arborist services including: tree trimming, tree removal, tree care and oak wilt treatment. For more information on Austin tree service, please visit https://centraltexastr.wpengine.com.
