Remarkable things happen in the natural world. One such thing was that while looking at a chestnut tree, its first branch had beech leeves on it. The trunk was chestnut, the leaves are beech, my brain hurt with these facts, this was impossible. I explored a bit more, all the branches above had chestnut leaves on, so what on earth was going on. I walked around the tree and behold a beech tree growing right behind and a branch of this beech tree was going right through the middle of this chestnut tree. No way, how could this happen?
Click on any image to enlarge
Twenty years later I revisited the tree, and here are the photos. You will notice that the branch has died but not that long ago, maybe up to 5 years.
Front veiw
Back view
Whole tree
It is a shame I did not take a photograph when I first saw it, I moved away from the area soon after. I do at least have proof that this can happen, but how did it happen in the first place?
I have seen similar things with yew trees, their roots especially can grow and fuse together. Then again the yew is one of the most amazing of trees in my world, they live for 1000`s of years. They rot out in the trunk and then send down aerial roots.
If anyone has any weird and wonderful tree photos send them to me and I may post them on this blog. Email info@seanhellman.com
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you absolute legend, this makes me very happy thanks for these photos. Hope devon is good. barn
ReplyDeleteTrees are amazing how they grow, they put on mass or growth over and around objects both at the base and when branches cross and fuse together, the lower limbs on the Beech in your photos look like the tree is shutting them down probably because of the lack of light, the bulges on the stem are old branches that have been removed pruned which have callused over really well, the Horse chestnuts days look over as it looks like the head has been removed more than likely to remove the weight because of the lean, it has put alot of growth on in its short life trying to compete with its neighbour for the light. It also looks like there is some rot in the area of the impalement on the chestnut, could be where the branches have died or have been removed by pruning What is interesting is the way the roots of the two trees have grown bracing and supporting each other.
ReplyDeleteI work as an Arborist so if I see any interesting trees I will send you some pictures Sean.
Simon.
Wonderful. There is a large beech tree near me that upon climbing, I discovered it has a resonably sized elder growing in a crook, a little higher I found a little holly bush!
ReplyDeleteAmazing, I repollarded a willow about a month ago and there was a fairly well established yew tree growing in the middle of it! the farmer told me that it was there the last time he did it about 15 years ago
ReplyDelete