2/3/2005: Sign-swallowing trees

Undertoad · 02-03-2005, 11:24 AM

axlrosen via Boing Boing finds these trees in Spain which have swallowed the taxi stand signs tacked to them thirty years ago.

It lends much to think about. We could mention the basic entropy of the universe. Or the ways that plants consume even things they don't absorb, or how mother nature gets her revenge in the end. Or we could just say hey neat, the bark almost covers them now.

full story, in Spanish

lookout123 · 02-03-2005, 11:49 AM

i saw something like this in my parents yard when they were selling the house 2 years ago. as a kid i built the inevitable treehouses and tied ropes around some branches. i even built a most excellent rope bridge between two of the larger trees. that was all about 20 years ago. the ropes decayed and fell away, most of the treehouses were scrapped, but walking around memory lane i came upon their remains. the ropes from the rope bridge were still visible in some spots on the trees - the tree had grown around the rope and preserved it. the same had happened with some 2x4's from the tree house remains.

thanks for triggering the memories UT.

dar512 · 02-03-2005, 12:15 PM

I've seen the same thing done with chain-link fence. Very science-fiction like. The tree oozes through the fence (at a very slow rate).

Happy Monkey · 02-03-2005, 12:19 PM

It happens with power lines, too. There are a couple of power lines in my neighborhood with blocks of wood hanging on them - the branch was cut above and below the line, leaving a short log hanging there.

glatt · 02-03-2005, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

It happens with power lines, too. There are a couple of power lines in my neighborhood with blocks of wood hanging on them - the branch was cut above and below the line, leaving a short log hanging there.

After we bought our house, I cleaned up the jungle in the back yard. I cut one small tree whose trunk went through the chain link fence. As a sapling, the tree must have grown through a single open link. As an eight inch diameter trunk, it went through/around a couple of the links. I cut it on either side of the fence, and now there is no trace of the tree but a hunk of wood hanging from my fence.

dar512 · 02-03-2005, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

and now there is no trace of the tree but a hunk of wood hanging from my fence.

Which you should carve into something decorative.

wolf · 02-03-2005, 12:53 PM

Much to the surprise of a chainsaw operator, some friends of mine left a pipe or rod of some kind nestled in a notch of an oak tree that was in their backyard. (This is the killer baby carriage family. Which reminds me, if tonight doesn't suck, I'll try to work on another of those "My Friend's Father Absolutely True Adventure Stories."

Trilby · 02-03-2005, 02:17 PM

Ya know what I like?? "...basic entropy of the universe".

V. cool.

Buckethead · 02-03-2005, 03:55 PM

I don't know, it looks like those signs are maybe being pooped out of the trees instead of being sucked in...

cjjulie · 03-05-2005, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckethead

I don't know, it looks like those signs are maybe being pooped out of the trees instead of being sucked in...

is this the reason for your name

glatt · 10-13-2006, 10:35 AM

Took me a while to find this thread. I thought we had another one with bikes swallowed by trees, and one with a tree growing through a pickup truck.

Anyway, here's a picture I just came across. It's pretty amazing. If it weren't for the tree, it almost looks like you could start this up and go for a ride.

xoxoxoBruce · 10-13-2006, 11:10 AM

This thread works just as well, glatt. Not being familiar with that kind of tree, I wonder how long that took?

The bike looks like a '70s, so I imagine it wouldn't have been abandoned until the '80s.

rock9995 · 10-13-2006, 07:22 PM

70's bike. Good guess. It's one of those Yamaha 650 clones of the British Bikes like BSA and Triumph. Palmettos indicate a tropical/subtropical environment i.e., lots and lots of rain and heat. Even if they cleaned up the bike for the photo, wouldn't it be reasonable to assume that the leather would look pretty bad and a lot more rust everywhere after 20+ years in the jungle? Something about the light on the bike vs. the ambient light in the photo makes it look Photoshopped to me--although expertly done. There are those photoshop pranksters that love to get a spot-on, fool the eye photo and see if they can get away with it. Then again, maybe not. Maybe someone spent a lot of time cleaning and making it look good, although if they did, there's hardly a footprint to be seen around the tree.

Ibby · 10-14-2006, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjjulie

is this the reason for your name

I'd probably bet that this is the reason for his name...

mmmmbacon · 02-03-2005, 04:16 PM

I'd love to see a time-lapse photography sequence of this happening... time-lapse footage of plants growing is freaky.

02-03-2005, 11:24 AM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	2/3/2005: Sign-swallowing trees axlrosen via Boing Boing finds these trees in Spain which have swallowed the taxi stand signs tacked to them thirty years ago. It lends much to think about. We could mention the basic entropy of the universe. Or the ways that plants consume even things they don't absorb, or how mother nature gets her revenge in the end. Or we could just say hey neat, the bark almost covers them now. full story, in Spanish

02-03-2005, 11:49 AM	#2
lookout123 changed his status to single Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Right behind you. No, the other side. Posts: 10,308	i saw something like this in my parents yard when they were selling the house 2 years ago. as a kid i built the inevitable treehouses and tied ropes around some branches. i even built a most excellent rope bridge between two of the larger trees. that was all about 20 years ago. the ropes decayed and fell away, most of the treehouses were scrapped, but walking around memory lane i came upon their remains. the ropes from the rope bridge were still visible in some spots on the trees - the tree had grown around the rope and preserved it. the same had happened with some 2x4's from the tree house remains. thanks for triggering the memories UT. __________________ Getting knocked down is no sin, it's not getting back up that's the sin

02-03-2005, 12:15 PM	#3
dar512 dar512 is now Pete Zicato Join Date: May 2003 Location: Chicago suburb Posts: 4,968	I've seen the same thing done with chain-link fence. Very science-fiction like. The tree oozes through the fence (at a very slow rate). __________________ "Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain." -- Friedrich Schiller

02-03-2005, 12:19 PM	#4
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	It happens with power lines, too. There are a couple of power lines in my neighborhood with blocks of wood hanging on them - the branch was cut above and below the line, leaving a short log hanging there. __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

02-03-2005, 12:53 PM	#7
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Much to the surprise of a chainsaw operator, some friends of mine left a pipe or rod of some kind nestled in a notch of an oak tree that was in their backyard. (This is the killer baby carriage family. Which reminds me, if tonight doesn't suck, I'll try to work on another of those "My Friend's Father Absolutely True Adventure Stories." __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

02-03-2005, 02:17 PM	#8
Trilby Slattern of the Swail Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 15,654	Ya know what I like?? "...basic entropy of the universe". V. cool. __________________ In Barrie's play and novel, the roles of fairies are brief: they are allies to the Lost Boys, the source of fairy dust and ...They are portrayed as dangerous, whimsical and extremely clever but quite hedonistic. "Shall I give you a kiss?" Peter asked and, jerking an acorn button off his coat, solemnly presented it to her. —James Barrie Wimminfolk they be tricksy. - ZenGum

02-03-2005, 03:55 PM	#9
Buckethead Provocateur Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 9	I don't know, it looks like those signs are maybe being pooped out of the trees instead of being sucked in...

10-13-2006, 10:35 AM	#11
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Took me a while to find this thread. I thought we had another one with bikes swallowed by trees, and one with a tree growing through a pickup truck. Anyway, here's a picture I just came across. It's pretty amazing. If it weren't for the tree, it almost looks like you could start this up and go for a ride. Attached Images

10-13-2006, 11:10 AM	#12
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	This thread works just as well, glatt. Not being familiar with that kind of tree, I wonder how long that took? The bike looks like a '70s, so I imagine it wouldn't have been abandoned until the '80s. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. Last edited by xoxoxoBruce; 10-13-2006 at 11:15 AM.

10-13-2006, 07:22 PM	#13
rock9995 Complex Simpleton Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 18	photoshop? 70's bike. Good guess. It's one of those Yamaha 650 clones of the British Bikes like BSA and Triumph. Palmettos indicate a tropical/subtropical environment i.e., lots and lots of rain and heat. Even if they cleaned up the bike for the photo, wouldn't it be reasonable to assume that the leather would look pretty bad and a lot more rust everywhere after 20+ years in the jungle? Something about the light on the bike vs. the ambient light in the photo makes it look Photoshopped to me--although expertly done. There are those photoshop pranksters that love to get a spot-on, fool the eye photo and see if they can get away with it. Then again, maybe not. Maybe someone spent a lot of time cleaning and making it look good, although if they did, there's hardly a footprint to be seen around the tree.

02-03-2005, 04:16 PM	#15
mmmmbacon biting my elbow Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NJ Posts: 30	I'd love to see a time-lapse photography sequence of this happening... time-lapse footage of plants growing is freaky.

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