Peely Bark

October 17, 2025

As trees grow in girth, somehow their bark must accommodate that growth. In the case of American Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) as the trunk expands, the surface of its deep red-brown bark breaks into plate-like scales. These separate into thin but good sized plates which peel off.

This leaves the upper reaches of the tree a much lighter color. Creating tall, marble trees, in my mind anyway. They’re often seen growing along streams. Outlining those streams with stately markers.

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Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

2 thoughts on “Peely Bark”

    1. Hi Buddy, great to hear from you! I totally agree about the Sycamore. I have fond memories, from long ago, of being at my Grandparents’ house in Lansdale, Pa. for the annual family Christmas gathering. Some of my cousins and I went for a walk around the block which is lined with Sycamore trees. Of course we noticed the huge pieces of peeling bark falling off the trees, so we gathered those pieces up and put them into a nearby post office mail box. Crazy kids!
      So very glad you read my posts —
      Hoping you and Sue are enjoying this beautiful autumn!
      Bren

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