Snow Layered Trees

[Stephenb]

A common site in winter here are trees which have been bent to the ground by the weight of heavy wet snow and then freeze in that position for the rest of the winter. In the first two the trees (birch/alder/willow) have frozen into a river. The last is in a field which floods in mild weather. Note how all are bent outwards from the centre of the group - I presume each one would have been initially bent outwards slightly (towards better light) and the snow accentuates this outward leaning?

  

[mark smyth]

very interesting. Will they spring back up or will they stay this shape?

[Stephenb]

They'll spring back but probably not all the way...

[Hoy]

Not all spring back. I have seen trees bent so much that the limbs actually roots! This happens often with willows, bird cherries and others that easily root. Especially in moist, shady areas. In few years they make impenetrable thickets.

[Stephenb]

I suppose it is a process which continues for several years - once bent the snow will more easily load the branches down in subsequent years.

[Ezeiza]

Hoy, there is a fascinating account of Alexander The Great reaching a region where the inhabitants forced tree branches to root by layering and form impregnable thickets. It was so thick that it was impossible to chop down and they could only clear it by covering the tickets with earth. I wonder if they had not got the idea from seeing these trees layering under the snow weight???

[Hoy]

Ezeiza,
I didn't know that but I have read the tale of Dornröschen /Tornerose/Sleeping beauty etc! Maybe the tale has a root in reality.