In this column, Cecil confirms that initials carved on the side of a tree will always remain at the same height. Reason being that the tree only grows from the top - the bottom part stays put.
I’ve heard this claim before, and always puzzled about the following: anytime you see a little tree, the branches are quite low (obviously - the tree doesn’t grow as a stick for 30 feet and only then begin to sprout branches). So why is it that on fully grown trees the branches typically don’t begin until 20 feet off the ground or more? The obvious answer is that these branches began as lower branches and were lifted up as the tree grew, so one would think that initials should be the same.
The only thing I can think of is that maybe as the tree grows the lower branches all fall off, and the only ones that remain are those that are well above ground. I don’t think this is true, but the truth is that I have not monitored any trees that closely, so I may be wrong.
There are all kinds of trees and each has it’s own characteristics. Some naturally prune themselves of lower branches, especially those that have adapted to the occurrence of fire. It’s harder for a tree to ignite if the fire can’t reach the branches.
Trees in urban environments are usually pruned to avoid whacking one’s head on the lower branches or other such reasons.
I remember being confused when I was a child by finding an old axe head imbedded and over-grown about 20’ up in a tree, I imagined that someone had broken their axe handle, left the head in the tree and in the intervening years, had risen to that lofty height.
Yes, this is generally exactly what happens. The lower branches are shaded out, die, and fall off. Since it is a gradual process it may not be very obvious unless you keep track from year to year. It is the bases of these former branches, embedded within the trunk, that form the “knots” in sawn planks, etc.