Bark That's Better than a Bite

For most of human history, bark has been a hot commodity. The pursuit of various barks generated astonishing wealth, sent countries to war, and pushed explorers into unknown parts. Bark’s unique chemical and physical properties, adapted over hundreds of millions of years to protect plants from threats, are the result of whatever challenges the local environment offered — fire, frost, desiccation, disease, insects, and herbivores, to name a few.

Some barks exude heavy metals, contain lethal toxins, or produce an outer layer so hard that machetes will bounce off of it. Others can cure malaria, flavor food, or float. Bark eludes artificial synthesis, despite huge possible financial rewards and almost 200 years of efforts that