How does tree bark get its color?
The outer bark of a tree is a layer of dead cells that that can be several colors, thicknesses and textures depending on the tree’s evolution, age and health. Most young growth has green bark which is a result of the amount of chlorophyll in the cells. As the outer cells die they turn, brown, gray, white and sometimes red, depending on the tannin or other elements in the cells. The nutrients and water move up the tree through the vascular cambium layer of the tree from the roots to the new growth.
