The World's Most Beautiful Bark (Or: Trees Worth A Closer Look)

Photographer Cedric Pollet travels the world, barking up trees for a living. Like this peeling orange-red madrone found on the west coast of North America:

toggle caption Cedric Pollet/cedric-pollet.com

Or this manzanita, a small evergreen from California:

toggle caption Cedric Pollet/cedric-pollet.com

Or this rainbow eucalyptus located in the Philippines:

toggle caption Cedric Pollet/cedric-pollet.com

In fact, if Pollet had to pick a favorite tree, it would be eucalyptus. There are more than 700 species worldwide, he explained in an email. And if we're qualifying by most colorful bark, rainbow eucalyptus is "the world champion." In his words, "it's just fantastic."

Quite honestly, I don't think I've ever heard someone describe bark as "fantastic." But Pollet is on a crusade against that reigning notion that bark is boring. His new book is a big, bright, 190-page homage to the world's most beautiful barks. He writes in the introduction:

It's pretty much neglected because at first sight it holds little interest for us. You can count books about bark on the fingers of one hand. It is, in fact, present in many forms in our daily lives (cinnamon, cork, rubber, incense, medicines, chewing gums, fibres, pigments and so on), but this only serves to make it seem ordinary. ... To whet people's enthusiasm, I thought it was important to find ways to surprise and move them, by treating bark in a completely new way, at once aesthetic and playful.

That means huge, colorful swatches of peeling strawberry bark and oozing orange Frankincense. Or bark like you've never seen it before.

Hide caption Boswellia elongata is more commonly known as the Frankincense Tree. On a small Yemenite island to the east of the Horn of Africa, you can find eight of the world's 24 species of incense trees. Islanders chew the sap as a mouth disinfectant, and burn it for its scent. Previous Next Cedric Pollet, from the book "Bark"/cedric-pollet.com

Hide caption The silk floss tree ( Ceiba speciosa ) is a flowering, deciduous tree in South America's tropical forests. A key characteristic is its thorny trunk. Previous Next Cedric Pollet, from the book "Bark"/cedric-pollet.com

Hide caption The ocotillo tree is a shrub-looking plant in the southwest U.S. Yellowish tissue takes over photosynthesis during the dry season, when its leaves have fallen. It is a medicinal plant that was used by native Americans. Previous Next Cedric Pollet, from the book "Bark"/cedric-pollet.com

Hide caption Spotted gum trees grow on the east coast of Australia. The orange-colored bark peels off at the beginning of summer, leaving behind colorful splotches of green, white and yellow. Previous Next Cedric Pollet, from the book "Bark"/cedric-pollet.com

Hide caption There are about a dozen species in the genus Arbutus , trees found in southern Europe and the western part of North America. They are known as strawberry trees in Europe and madrones in the U.S. Previous Next Cedric Pollet, from the book "Bark"/cedric-pollet.com

Hide caption There are dozens of birch species, all which originate in the northern hemisphere. Its sap is collected and drunk as a tonic in northern Europe and Russia. It is also used in syrup, beer and wintergreen-flavored candy. Previous Next Cedric Pollet, from the book "Bark"/cedric-pollet.com

Hide caption The Madagascar palm, or genus Pachypodia (meaning "thick foot") is engemic to the island. Its name refers to the swollen trunk, often bottle-shaped in certain species. Previous Next Cedric Pollet, from the book "Bark"/cedric-pollet.com

Hide caption The Japanese Stewartia is a close relative of the tea plant. In the summer it is covered with white flowers and in the fall, the trunk turns orange-red. Previous Next Cedric Pollet, from the book "Bark"/cedric-pollet.com

Hide caption Before the Ice Age, the Chinese Zelkova formed forests all over the northern hemisphere. Closely related to the elm, it is one of the best species for creating bonsai. Previous Next Cedric Pollet, from the book "Bark"/cedric-pollet.com 1 of 9 i View slideshow

Pollet, born and still living in France, was inspired as a child by his natural surroundings. He studied agricultural engineering and landscape design, and sort of fell into photography as a byproduct of being around so much photogenic flora. Supported by awards and grants, he has traveled the world documenting trees indigenous to even the most remote locations. It's a pretty obscure passion, but if Pollet has any say, you too might become a bark believer.

You can see more on his website.