OUT & ABOUT
HIDDEN IN THE HILLS
Bizarre shaped trees
by Lachlan Turner
It can be said with confidence that trees are the most common feature of our bushland .
Without trees , which present themselves in all shapes , colour and sizes , much of the character of the bush would not be as diverse .
Throughout our local forest areas there can be found some extremely interesting examples of how nature has sculptured trees into some quite bizarre shapes .
The influences of insect attack and disease infestations can produce some notable variations in the normality of the tree ’ s overall structure . Fire too can be an early cause of serious deformation that remains evident as the tree grows older . Some trees are naturally straight and tall whilst others have the habit of producing branches at irregular intervals . Some too have branches that appear to twist and turn in many directions .
At times trees may be damaged as a result of severe weather impacting the structure of the tree anywhere from its base to its canopy .
Occasionally , there has been some direct human intervention that causes a tree to grow in a not so normal manner .
As you walk through the bush regularly you become aware that there is also an incredible variation in the colour and texture of any given tree ’ s bark . Not only do variations occur close to the ground , but also further up the trunk . Changes in colour are also evident with the change of seasons .
The images accompanying today ’ s column are just a selection of the many examples of unusually shaped trees that can be found Hidden In The Hills .
THE HILLS INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS ! ISSUE 102 // DECEMBER 2023 29