Tree more bare: bark initially removed (5)
I believe the answer is:
alder
'tree' is the definition.
(I know that alder is a type of tree)
I can't explain the rest of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for alder that I've seen before include "Tree related to the birch" , "Shrub or tree with cone-like fruits" , "North temperate tree with cone-like fruit" , "Tree or shrub whose wood is resistant to underwater rot" , "Tree with catkins" .)