# The trees are taking over!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trees-are-taking-over/65850>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 18, 2001, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trees-are-taking-over/65850 "2001-05-18T20:33:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2001, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trees-are-taking-over/65850/1 "2001-05-18T20:33:45Z")

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Meant to post this earlier this week. Interesting story about the “greening” of Detroit.

[Rooted in Air](http://freep.com/news/locway/journ15_20010515.htm)

Truly bizarre. Who knows, maybe Detroit can develop a new industry: lumber.

Does anybody know about this happening in other cities?

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**Author:** ![Doobieous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Doobieous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doobieous)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trees-are-taking-over/65850/2 "2001-05-19T00:05:08Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Wolverine \*  
> \*\*Meant to post this earlier this week. Interesting story about the “greening” of Detroit.
> 
> [Rooted in Air](http://freep.com/news/locway/journ15_20010515.htm)
> 
> Truly bizarre. Who knows, maybe Detroit can develop a new industry: lumber.
> 
> Does anybody know about this happening in other cities? \*\*

I havent seen it in Monterey, but no doubt it could happen here. For instance, certain palm trees here have small trees growing in the crevices between the leaf bases and the trunk (in fact, one has a fairly sizeable bush in it). If Monterey had any abandoned buildings, i could see it happening. Also, in tropical countries, it’s quite common for banyans to overrun buildings (they also tend to swallow up trees), since they actually start out growing in the top of a tree, and sending roots down.

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**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trees-are-taking-over/65850/3 "2001-05-19T03:06:36Z")

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it happens here in philly. last year we had a record number of building collapses, one of the factors were trees growing in or on the buildings. l and i borrowed two helicopters and targeted the buildings that had trees growing. from my office window you can see about 5 buildings with natural rooftop gardens.

i also read about parts of ellis island that weren’t reno’ed that looked like a jungle.

looks like the trees win after all.