It can be said with confidence that trees are the most common feature of our bushland.
Without trees, which present themselves in all shapes, colour and sizes, much of the character of the bush would not be as diverse.
Throughout our local forest areas there can be found some extremely interesting examples of how nature has sculptured trees into some quite bizarre shapes.
The influences of insect attack and disease infestations can produce some notable variations in the normality of the tree’s overall structure. Fire too can be an early cause of serious deformation that remains evident as the tree grows older.
Some trees are naturally straight and tall whilst others have the habit of producing branches at irregular intervals. Some too have branches that appear to twist and turn in many directions.
At times trees may be damaged as a result of severe weather impacting the structure of the tree anywhere from its base to its canopy.
Occasionally, there has been some direct human intervention that causes a tree to grow in a not so normal manner.
As you walk through the bush regularly you become aware that there is also an incredible variation in the colour and texture of any given tree’s bark. Not only do variations occur close to the ground, but also further up the trunk. Changes in colour are also evident with the change of seasons.
The images opposite are just a selection of the many examples of unusually shaped trees that can be found Hidden In The Hills.
– Lachlan Turner
