On a bright sunny morning, after a long period of wet and cold, I saw this old lime tree steaming in the sun. Or was it breathing? I’ve searched the internet to find the answer but I am still not sure what it was doing.

I do know now that tree bark has ‘lenticles’ which, according to the Mirriam -Webster dictionary, are a “loose agregation of cells which penetrates the surface (as of a stem) of a woody plant and through which gases are exchanged between the atmosphere and the underlying tissues”.

According to another piece I read, bark does what it can to protect trees from the equivalent of frostbite in freezing weather by helping to moderate the change between the outside and the core temperatures. I think I have understood that correctly, but it’s all a little confusing late on a Sunday evening, with Google referring me to scientific papers as dense as forest, which I’m floating around like a lost leaf.

Anyway, the end result is that I’m still left with more question than answer – would the bark of a recently pollarded tree have to work especially hard to keep the tree balanced as temperatures and rainfall swirl around it? Would it be ‘breathing’ hard?

If anyone knows the answers I’d love to hear.

Copyright Georgie Knaggs & The Phraser 2023