# Quirky trees...need explanation. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 1, 2015, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quirky-trees-need-explanation/733119 "2015-10-01T08:09:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quirky-trees-need-explanation/733119/1 "2015-10-01T08:09:47Z")
I recently moved to a coastal region, and on a fairly regular drive have found a curious phenomenon where trees on one side of the road have grown almost horizontally while trees on the OTHER side of the road are for the most part vertical. What is weird is that it’s trees on the side nearest the coast that are vertical. The trees are of similar age and are quite old, I’d estimate at least 50-100yrs. They’re a variety of eucalypt, and seem otherwise healthy. Of course my first thought was that strong winds blowing from the ocean had distorted the growth pattern of said trees…but why are the ones on the coastal side OK? Oh, and they’re growing about a km (as the crow flies) from the beach too. Any clues?? ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quirky-trees-need-explanation/733119/2 "2015-10-01T11:07:59Z")
Google streetview reference Kam? ---
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quirky-trees-need-explanation/733119/3 "2015-10-01T11:12:02Z")
My only guess is the positioning of the sun at certain points of the day for this area could be influencing this somehow ETA: Just found this really cool link about using tree growth to navigate [How to navigate using Plants - The Natural Navigator](http://www.naturalnavigator.com/find-your-way-using/plants) May be onto something ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quirky-trees-need-explanation/733119/4 "2015-10-01T12:06:20Z")
Quirky description … need picture. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quirky-trees-need-explanation/733119/5 "2015-10-01T12:32:05Z")
Which direction are the horizontal trees growing in? Are they all growing in the same direction? Perhaps the trees growing vertically on one side of the road are closer to the dominant sun direction and they put the trees on the other side of the road into shade, forcing them to compensate by growing towards a position where they can get more direct sunlight. ---
**Author:** ![sich\_hinaufwinden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@sich\_hinaufwinden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sich_hinaufwinden)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quirky-trees-need-explanation/733119/6 "2015-10-01T12:38:52Z")
Any chance the “horizontal” trees are like that from being trimmed due to overhead electric lines? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quirky-trees-need-explanation/733119/7 "2015-10-01T13:51:22Z")
> [@sich\_hinaufwinden](#): > > Any chance the “horizontal” trees are like that from being trimmed due to overhead electric lines? That was my thought as well. How close to wires or the road are these trees? Public works crews trim trees along roadways with little regard to how cosmetically balanced they’ll look. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quirky-trees-need-explanation/733119/8 "2015-10-01T14:03:18Z")
I wonder if those that are more horizontal are along a geologic fault, perhaps a slumping fault block. Is there much relief in the area, any highlands or cliffs? Also, are the trees horizontal and straight or is there a discernible bend to their trunks? If it is a fault that might speak to the speed of the event. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quirky-trees-need-explanation/733119/9 "2015-10-01T14:12:42Z")
If there’s a stream or ditch running parallell to the road, they could simply be undermined by erosion. ---
**Author:** ![Dinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@Dinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinx)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quirky-trees-need-explanation/733119/10 "2015-10-01T16:41:32Z")
Indian trees - marking the path to … ---
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quirky-trees-need-explanation/733119/11 "2015-10-02T04:58:27Z")
The leaning trees suffered from hurricane winds and storm surge sometime in the past. The same storm may have wiped out the ones on the coastal side of the street. They were subsequently replaced with the upright trees. Just a guess. ---
**Author:** ![mikewil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@mikewil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikewil)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quirky-trees-need-explanation/733119/12 "2015-10-02T10:57:49Z")
I don’t kknow where Kambukta saw them but bent over trees are fairly common around Greenough in Western Australia, google “greenough trees” to see pics ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quirky-trees-need-explanation/733119/13 "2015-10-02T18:57:51Z")
Without pictures of what the OP is talking about, we can’t know if he meant bent or tipped. Actually that the tree trunk is bent or??? May as well drift this thread into another gun debate. Then both will produce the same results. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quirky-trees-need-explanation/733119/14 "2015-10-03T04:20:38Z")
> [@PurpleClogs](#): > > The leaning trees suffered from hurricane winds and storm surge sometime in the past. The same storm may have wiped out the ones on the coastal side of the street. They were subsequently replaced with the upright trees. Just a guess. Heavy snow causes that type of damage too, depending on the tree. Most of the birch trees in my town were damaged this winter, and I’ve yet to see a straight one this year. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quirky-trees-need-explanation/733119/15 "2015-10-05T00:27:29Z")
Wouldn’t the trees be leaning away from the shore. So the shore side trees would be leaning toward the road, if they were left to lean ? … The leaning over trees were removed if they were threatening to fall onto the road ? Meanwhile, the road promotes the growth of health trees by removing competition, trees at the edge grow strong and health… ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quirky-trees-need-explanation/733119/16 "2015-10-29T21:00:28Z")
I tried to get a ‘google street view’ of it, but could only get an aerial shot that didn’t show the orientation at all. However [this page](http://www.about-australia.com/attractions/greenough-leaning-trees/) shows pretty much exactly what I’m trying to describe, albeit on the other side of the continent (I’m in southern Victoria). (Thanks for the headsup **mikewil** ) And as I mentioned, while the upright trees on the ocean side of the road (C121 if anybody has better google-fu than me) appeared to be a similar age, I guess it’s possible that those that _had_ bent over (towards the road itself) were removed to preserve the safety of the highway.