Ah, January. Not much going on in the garden. Witch hazels are blooming, and a few camellias. In colder zones, there’s nothing blooming at all. It was -16°F last Monday in my hometown in Minnesota. The record for that day is -42°F.

Bark takes center stage this time of year as we look harder to find beauty in the landscape. Luckily, there are many trees with gorgeous bark to bring joy to the winter garden. I’d like to share a few of my favorites, including some uncommon ones.

I saw this incredible Tanyosho pine (Pinus densiflora ‘Tanyosho’ or ‘Umbraculifera’) at the Portland Community College Rock Creek campus one fall day (at HPSO’s annual Plant Fest).

The Asian Tanyosho pine grows very slowly into a mushroom-shaped tree and is sometimes called “tabletop pine” for its flat-topped canopy. Conifers often look goofy if you limb them up, but this one grows naturally in a manner that exposes the sexy bark. It’s hardy to zone 4.