Every garden is a thing of beauty in the growing seasons -- spring bulbs, summer flowers and fall foliage all carry on with extravagance. But winter is coming, so the ...

Trees develop their characteristic barks as the trunk circumference grows. The dead outer bark can’t grow, and so it gives way. Beech bark (Fagus spp.) is flexible, so it stretches and expands.

These trees feature bark with bright colors and compelling textures: -- American beech (Fagus grandifolia); Zones 4-8. -- European beech (Fagus sylvatica); Zones 4-7.