Maple tree that couldn't make up it's mind.

[Daren]

One of my ways of relaxing is walking the timber. I usually take a camera (unless I have a chainsaw and permission...  smiley_chop ) and take pictures of odd trees, burls that kinda thing. I was walking last week and come across a maple that was not quite sure what it wanted to do. I didn't have my camera, just my camera phone so the photo is not great. It split at the base and about 10' up grew back together and split again. I did not take a closeup, but it is not just touching it is fused together for 18" or so.
Not the weirdest tree I have seen, just the weirdest last week. I reckon others do the same, pay attention to trees that are different. I love to see non typical trees. Anybody else have pictures? I have some more I would post if the thread is not a dud.

[Mr Mom]

     I have tree that is a tulip and it arcs out and has three trees growing out of it stright up and only one end is in the ground.
     I will get pictures tonight.



     Thanks Alot Mr Mom

[thecfarm]

I would like to see more pictures.When we was cutting wood here we found a white pine limb that grew back into the tree.Was only about 2 feet long and about 3 inches through.It was like a handle.

[sprucebunny]

This white pine is well joined at the far  end also.A logger brought it to me.
I really wanted to make something special out of it but didn't know what and it was in the way so it ended up being big blocking...about 10x10"

[Daren]

.
I really wanted to make something special out of it but didn't know what

I would have called some custom log home builders. I think it should have brought a hefty price. That would have made a very unique focal point, one the right homeowner would have loved to have inside someplace to show off. Like at the end of a bar, part of a staircase or just standing alone for decoration.

[sprucebunny]

That would have been perfect, Daren, but it was getting weathered and there are very few of that kind of homes around here. Also it was 20+' long .

I'm interested in forest oddities. Got any more pictures, Daren ???

[Daren]

a white pine limb that grew back into the tree.It was like a handle.

I was walking in the timber again today and found some more odd trees. I found a tree with a handle on it too. It is 2 limbs fused together and grown back into the tree, very unusual. (sorry more camera phone pictures)





I did not even see the handle when I approached the tree...I was looking at all the bumps, I like bumpy trees  ;). This is the same tree at the base. I wish the picture was better, it is plumb ate up with birdseye, you can only see the big ones. Looks like it has a bad case of chicken pox. There are alot more little bumps than big ones.



I found another cool one. I was hiking through one area that was nothing but osage and locust. One locust was much bigger that the rest and really stood out. I decided to pay it a visit. I can see the curl through the bark !!! There are big waves that I think you can see in the picture, but up close in person I could really see it. Like ripples on a pond all up and down it. I mess with a fair amount of figured wood and I bet this would be a beauty on the mill. I hung my quart water bottle on it to show some scale. I carry a quart of water in a little insulated thing with a clip on my belt. I didn't really think to scale it (what was the point, it was miles into someone elses timber  :) but I bet it was 36" or better DBH. To the left of the water bottle there is a weird crotch that goes all the way from the ground to at least 6' up. For a figured wood guy I really liked this one, I kept trying to use my x-ray vision on it.  :D



I am not really sure what is going on here. This is the same tree from the other side. Kinda looks like it might have ate another smaller one.  ??? They are coming out of the ground more than a foot apart, but where they are touching the littler one is growing into the bigger one. May be the same tree, but I don't really think so. They are right along the river and it gets out of it banks and can wash trees out. From the way it looks the little one was washed out and came to rest against the big one after a flood and just took root. It just laid sideways and wrapped around a tree the water could not move and kept growing.

[WDH]

What type of tree was the one with the handle?  Hawthorn?  Crab Apple?  An old fruit tree?

[jon12345]

Interesting pictures.  I see all kinds of oddities in the woods, and always wished I had a camera.  Now I have a camera but don't wanna take it in the woods because I'm afraid I'll break it  :D

[Daren]

What type of tree was the one with the handle?  Hawthorn?  Crab Apple?  An old fruit tree?

I am not sure. I thought it was a big redbud from a distance because of its overall form. But you can see the couple leaves in the picture have a serrated edge and are teardrop/oval shaped. Redbuds are heart shaped and smooth. It is early and it only had a few immature leaves. I am going back to the same area in a few days (I was actually crappie fishing, and I found a good spot. The tree was on the hike to that spot on the river) I will look closer to ID it. I do know it is a slow grower, it is small and old. There is moss on the bark that is not present on the surrounding trees.

[semologger]

looks like turkey season. when is season in over there. your shooting the wrong things. ive found alot of pine that have grown back together. some trees that look like a ball on a car antena. 

my uncle make log homes pine. he has the machinery that shapes the ties. but he had his house built and it has al kinds of weird looking wood in it. the staircase handles are vines. he has a couple of pieces  like sprucebunny has.

[WDH]

That cleft leaf reminds me of the rose family. 

[Left Coast Chris]

Here is a pic of a Ponderosa Pine where the limb tried to be a tree of its own:



Here is a pic of the Lord commenting on his creation: 8) 8) 8)

[Daren]

What type of tree was the one with the handle?

I still don't know, now I am curious  ???. I went to the same spot fishing today (course they were not biting) and snapped a couple more pics. It is small and limby. I see no signs of flower/seed buds so I do't know how it reproduces and it is the only one like it for quite a distance. I did not see any others on my hike. I would lean toward hawthorn though, it did have some spikey things on the limbs. The bark is not really like I would expect looking it up, but I think there are many types I guess. From what I read the wood was hard ? I know the only other trees around where the black locust, honeylocust  and osage...seemed like a firewood cutters happy place  :D.

[Tom]

I can't see it real good, but the leaves in the top of the picture, as well as the general shape of the rest, make me think it might be Mulberry.  Google Mulberry and see if you can find something familiar.

[Furby]

You may be onto it Tom, the bark on mine is much lighter in color, but I don't recall of hand what type of Mulberry I have.

[WDH]

That is not mulberry.  Mulberry leaves are much larger and rounder.  It is hawthorne.  There are many species, and they are bad to hybridize.  I am not sure which species it is.  Thanks for the pics, Daren.

[Daren]

I reckon I could tell pretty quick, snap a little limb. I know what mulberry looks like on the inside, bright yellow fresh and darkens like cherry with exposure. I mill mulberry, I am fond of the wood...I think there are old pics in my gallery. In a way it makes sense, it is growing next to its cousin osage and the leaves do look alot like mulberry. But for its age (I am still working under the assumption it is old) it is way too small. I know how to rule out what it is not, unless it is a dwarf mulberry  ???. After we get another good rain the river should come up and the crappie will move back to my "secret spot". I will visit the handle tree again and give it one more look.