Leaf The bark on young trees is smooth and chestnut brown, quickly becoming gray and rough. ... Ironwood leaf gall maker (Eriophyes sp.) Bark. The black ironwood is a bushy shrub, or a small to medium-sized tree, up to 10 metres (33 ft) in height, occasionally reaching 40 metres (130 ft). The tree blooms heavily in alternating years. The Persian Ironwood has attractive brown bark with pink hues that, when mature, sheds off to reveal smooth white and green bark underneath. Related to witch-hazel, the oblong green leaves turn various shades of red, orange and yellow in the fall, often persisting into the winter months. While the Ironwood tree is considered "evergreen," it does lose its leaves if the temperature falls below 36 degrees Fahrenheit. On mature trees the bark is grayish-brown and is broken into short, narrow, vertical strips that are loose at both ends. peeling bark off ironwood? Also known as eastern hophornbeam. The strips often spiral somewhat around the trunk. Our Persian Ironwood is still young, and in the winter of 2019, was not yet shedding. Bark: light grey, becoming dark grey and vertically fissured with age; a characteristic blackish gum is exuded from bark wounds. Light gray brown; furrowed and irregularly ridged. Most species of trees do have tight bark but not all of them "hang" tight, under the force of high pressure water. Many trees do however resist and survive the damage by regenerating the bark in wounded areas. According to Forest Trees of Wisconsin, the lumber is, “Very strong … used for fence posts, handles of tools, mallets and other small articles and fuel.” Ironwood trees are considered a keystone species in this region because they provide food and shelter for several species of animals and plants. Ironwoods bloom in May with dusty mauve flowers. Persian parrotia or Persian ironwood is a small upright tree or large, rounded, multi-stemmed shrub. The mature bark exfoliates to patches of green, tan and white. An ironwood that was eventually ringbarked by porcupines. It is a slender tree, with leaves like yellow birch, although ironwood leaves have teeth of two different sizes. This ironwood growing at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is estimated to be 220 years old. Height 20' to 40', diameter 5" to 12"; top generally rounded; branches long and slender, drooping at ends. The bark of ironwood is light brown and scaly, shredding off in vertical strips. The leaves suggest a beech but the bark squelches that idea and helps us narrow the search to an ironwood tree, Ostraya virginiana, which can be found throughout the state. Jump to Latest Follow 1 - 8 of 8 Posts. The bark is rough and patterned, with whorls that peel off the tree. The shade provided by an ironwood tree allows other plants to get a foothold in the desert. Younger trees have smooth and also shiny back, while in older trees the bark is more cracked with a duller sheen. Any desert tree that shelters new plants is called a nurse tree. The desert ironwood tree, Olneya tesota, is a member of the legume family and is the only species in its genus.It is commonly found in the deserts of the Southwest, especially Arizona. It has simple alternating leaves with jagged teeth along the margins. Habitat: Ironwood prefers rich, moist soil and grows best in dappled light. Dr. Coombs is an environmental consultant and writer based in Grahamstown. The tree receives its common names from its extremely tough wood and hop like fruit.