Bark of an oak tree on Hoots Hollow Trail in Brazos Bend State Park. Needville, Texas, April 11, 2009
Bark of oak tree on Iron Bridge Trail in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, July 30, 2013
Bark of oak tree on Iron Bridge Trail in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, July 17, 2013
Oak tree without bark in Bastrop State Park. Bastrop, Texas, January 12, 2014
Bark of an oak tree in Boonville Cemetery. Bryan, Texas, November 14, 2012
Texture of bark of dry oak tree on Racoon Run Trail in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, July 17, 2013
Bark of an old oak tree in Alexandria Park in Peterhof, west from Saint Petersburg. Russia, August 26, 2016
Cracked bark of an old oak tree near Lisiy Nos, south from Saint Petersburg. Russia, February 18, 2017
Corticioid fungus Leucogyrophana mollusca on a small tree without bark, probably pine, but may be oak in wet area on Caney Creek section of Lone Star Hiking Trail in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, December 1, 2019
Tree bark (oak or elm) covered by Porina heterospora lichen on Caney Creek section of Lone Star Hiking Trail in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, April 24, 2021
A piece of tree bark with white corticioid fungus Dendrothele candida together with a cap of a bolete mushroom Fistulinella jamaicensis under oak, pine, magnolia, holly on Kirby Trail in Big Thicket National Preserve. Warren, Texas, September 25, 2021
Ancient oak tree trunk. Many oaks in the park are over 200 years old, some dating back to the park s initial landscaping in the 18th and 19th centuries. The gnarled, textured bark and massive girth signify its age and resilience. Northern part of Aleksandrovsky (Alexander) Park in Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg, Russia, October 10, 2025
Ancient oak trunk in Alexander Park showcases the sculptural quality of the park s veteran trees. The trunk features a massive, gnarled root flare and deep, craggy bark fissures, indicators of its significant age (likely over 200 years). These "veteran trees" are living monuments from the imperial era. Northern part of Aleksandrovsky (Alexander) Park in Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg, Russia, October 10, 2025
Layered complexity of the mixed deciduous forest in Alexander Park. The image is a study in yellow, dominated by the luminous canopy of Norway maples and silver birches. The rough, dark bark of the oaks and maples provides a strong vertical rhythm that cuts through the delicate, hazy texture of the foliage. The white, paper-like bark of the birch trees adds a secondary visual accent typical of the Russian landscape. The composition includes a rich understory of turning shrubs--likely hazel or young rowan--which adds density and depth, grounding the soaring trunks in a thicket of earthy reds and browns. Aleksandrovsky (Alexander) Park in Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg, Russia, October 10, 2025
Majestic, mature trees in the Upper Park that define the landscape s romantic character. The massive, gnarled branches of an old oak tree dominate the foreground, framing the view with their dark bark and patches of green moss. Its remaining leaves are a mix of rusty orange and brown, contrasting with the brighter yellow foliage of the surrounding maples. Beneath the trees, a dense thicket of shrubs (dogwood) creates a vibrant layer of red and pink tones. This rich undergrowth adds warmth and complexity to the autumn palette, which is primarily golden-yellow. Oranienbaum palace-and-park ensemble in Lomonosov (a suburb of St. Petersburg), Russia, October 13, 2025
Several rust-colored, spiky-bodied ants can be seen navigating the deeply furrowed bark of an oak tree, acting as a miniature logging crew. Some of the ants are carrying entire green, beaded oak catkins--the tree s string-like flower clusters--while one prominently hoists a freshly cut, bright green section of an oak leaf in its jaws. The ants carry these heavy loads hoisted high over their heads, a posture that resembles someone carrying a sunshade. These are Texas leafcutter ants (Atta texana), a highly destructive but fascinating native species also known as the "town ant" or "parasol ant" due to their unique carrying technique. They climb high into the canopies of oaks and other trees to use their powerful, scissor-like mandibles to slice away fresh foliage, preferring new, tender, high-water-content growth like young leaves and spring catkins. Working in massive, organized trails, a large colony can entirely strip the leaves from a small- to medium-sized tree in a single night, and they frequently travel hundreds of feet from their underground nests to find a suitable harvest. Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
A miniature procession of rust-colored ants traverses the deeply grooved, dry bark of an oak tree. In the center foreground, one ant acts as the focal point, hoisting a freshly cut, bright green slice of an oak leaf high above its head. Because the leaf fragment curves directly over the ant s body like a small green canopy, it perfectly illustrates why this species is often nicknamed the "parasol ant". Surrounding this central figure, three other ants march in the same direction, each carrying large, beaded green oak catkins gripped tightly in their mandibles. These are Texas leafcutter ants (Atta texana), a native species famous for its highly organized and destructive foraging behavior. Working in massive, coordinated trails that can span hundreds of feet, worker ants climb into the canopies of oaks and other trees to systematically slice away fresh, tender vegetation. The workers possess powerful jaws capable of cutting through leaves and flowers with remarkable speed, allowing a large colony to completely strip the foliage from a small tree in a single night. Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
