Steve Nix is a member of the Society of American Foresters and a former forest resources analyst for the state of Alabama. Trees are among the earth's most useful and beautiful products of nature.

So often we choose a tree because of its flowers, leaves, fall color or its fruit. Often, we forget about the bark. However, on many trees, the bark is the most interesting part of the tree. This can ...

Clockwise from top left: (1) Two lodgepole pines growing side-by-side with notably different bark textures, (2) a rough-barked limber pine that has been attacked by bark beetles, (3) a limber pine ...