(Click on the bark to see a bigger image!)
Bark
is the outer covering of most kinds of trees and shrubs. It protects the
stem, roots, and branches, of plants from injury, disease, and loss of
water. The thick, dull gray bark of the cottonwood tree splits into ridges
and furrows. The whitish light brown wood of this tree is soft and weak.
Manufacturers use it for boxes and crates, woodenware, luggage interiors,
furniture, pulpwood, and excelsior (wood shavings used as packing material).
