Falling bark

One of my favorite trees at Bosque Santa Luica is pau mulato (Calycophyllum spruceanum). It's one of the ironwood trees, which makes it a favorite for making charcoal. I'm not in the business of making charcoal, but I remember many years ago when I had a caretaker, who nearly cut all of these trees for that reason. I guess he needed some extra pocket change and it was the thing to do back in those days. The bark of this tree peels off at least once a year, leaving it as slick as you know what. Image: pieces of bark caught up in the brush below.