While the trunk of many tree species is covered with a thick, furrowed bark with increasing age, we will look in vain for this on the plane tree. She regularly loses parts of the bark, her trunk remains smooth. What's behind it?

The plane tree regularly sheds its bark

Visible changes on the trunk and branches

As a plane tree ages, the following changes can be observed:

  • the bark bursts open
  • sometimes with loud noises
  • Trunk and branches are affected
  • Pieces of bark gradually peel off and fall to the ground
  • underneath, a piebald tissue becomes visible

To a layperson, this appearance seems pathological, although the tree looks very vital at the same time. So the need for a coherent explanation is understandable.

Sycamore has a "special" bark

When we talk about the bark that envelops the trunk and branches of a tree, which is visible from the outside, we usually mean the bark. This is bark that has died and is migrating outwards. This layer still has its function, because it protects the tree from external influences. As the years go by, it gets thicker, more furrowed and darker.

The plane tree does not develop such a bark, no matter which species it belongs to. It only keeps its old bark on the trunk for a comparatively short time and then sheds it.

Shedding of the bark

The shedding of the bark follows a chronological rhythm. The plane tree can lose some bark every year, but a stronger "molting" can be observed about every 3 to 4 years. Another role is played by the growth of the plane tree. Because the more your trunk increases in size, the more likely it is that the corset of bark, which is becoming tighter, will burst open.

Since the trunk circumference of older trees increases more slowly, the shedding of the bark is more likely to be observed in the crown area, where the strongest growth still takes place.

loss of bark in summer

Due to the greater water absorption in summer, the trunk is narrower during the day while it expands at night. The bark bursts open. It's a natural mechanism.

If a rainy, warm spring precedes, which helps the plane trees to grow well, this leads to even greater loss of bark. During these summers, the changes in the trunk are even more noticeable to the attentive observer.

tips

Flaking of the bark is not an indication of dryness, as some owners assume. Instead, watch out for sagging leaves that indicate a lack of water.

Disease-related bark loss

A plane tree that is losing bark can also suffer from a fungal attack. Watch your plane tree in the garden for the appearance of other symptoms that indicate Massaria disease. For example, a pink to reddish discoloration of the bark.

Category:

Trees