Trees That Naturally Lose Their Bark

If you see peeling tree bark, you may be wondering why your bark is shedding. While this isn’t always a cause for panic, learning more about trees that naturally lose their bark can help bring some light on this problem so you’ll know what, if anything, should be done for it.

Peeling Bark
When the bark is shedding off a tree, decide if the tree is performing an ordinary shedding process or if disease or injury is the reason for the issue. If the old bark sheds and the new bark is over the wood afterward, this is its natural shedding.

If you see fungus or bare wood under the peeling bark, the tree is enduring from disease or environmental damage.

Trees with peeling bark
A tree with peeling bark isn’t automatically an issue. As a tree flourish, bark layers thicken, and the dead, old bark falls off. It may fall away slowly so that you barely notice it, but some sorts of trees have a more interesting shedding process that may be disturbing until you realize that it is entirely reasonable. Several trees are prone to peeling and provide distinctive interest, particularly in winter.

Trees that generally shed bark in huge chunks: Silver maple/ Scotch pine/Birch/ Sycamore/ Redbud/ Shagbark hickory.

Environmental Causes Behind Tree with Peeling Bark
Peeling tree bark is sometimes because of the environment. If peeling bark on trees is only on the southwest or south side of the tree and bare wood is visible, the issue could be frost damage or sunscald. This type of shedding disturbs the lifespan and health of the tree, and more prominent areas of exposed wood make it more expectantly that the tree will perish.

Horticulturalists disagree about whether painting with white reflective paint or wrapping the trees aids in eliminating sunscald. If you cover the trunk of the tree over winter, be sure to remove the wrapping before spring so that it doesn’t offer shelter for insects. Trees with breaks in the bark can live for a long time if the damaged space is narrow. Call an arborist if the tree is leaning or appears damaged.

---