bark dust

English

An area of recently laid bark dust in Silver Falls State Park, Oregon, USA

Etymology

The timber industry was prominent in Oregon and surrounding areas from roughly 1870–2000, which is apparently connected to the term's regionality.

Noun

bark dust (uncountable)

1. (Coastal Western US, chiefly Oregon) Shredded, ground, or chiped wood used for landscaping, gardening, or composting.
   • 1969, W. B. Bollen, [packaging of a bag of commercial bark dust], quoted in Properties of Tree Barks in Relation to Their Agricultural Utilization, Portland: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S.D.A. Forest Service Research Paper PNW-77, page 6:

     Forest Floor Bark Dust / Freshly Ground / Perfect For Yard Gardening / Controls Weeds • [unclear] soil / Adds [unclear] • Keeps Soil Moist

   • 1988, Wendy Ann Wood, Vicki P., “Slivers”, in Julie Livingston, editor, Triumph Over Darkness: Understandng and Healing the Trauma of Childhood Sexual Abuse‎^[2], 2nd edition, Hillsboro: Beyond Words Publishing, published 1993, →ISBN, page 35:

     Have you ever walked through bark dust barefoot? After gingerly stepping through you pause quickly to inspect the sole of your feet and brush away the visible splinters, then continue on your way.

   • 2010, Carol Deppe, The Resilient Garderdener‎^[3], White River Junction: Chelsea Green Publishing, →ISBN, page 114:

     In the vegetable garden, groomed manicured paths all nicely mulched with bark dust in between garden beds mean that you must collect all the weeds as you pull them […]

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see bark,‎ dust.

Related terms

• bark chips