Ask A Scientist© Botany Archive

name       Katie
status     student
age        15

Question - When bark is on a tree is it dead or alive?
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Katie,

The outer bark is dead while the inner bark (cambium) is living tissue
http://www.caf.wvu.edu/bark/whatis.htm
http://www.caf.wvu.edu/bark/angiospe1.htm

Sincerely,

Anthony R. Brach, Ph.D.
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Outer bark is dead, inner bark, just underneath the woody dead layer is
alive and growing; a new layer is added every year from underneath as old
layers die.

J. Elliott
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