We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason
July 19, 2017 6:16 PM Subscribe
#14 looks like a glitch in the matrix or a scene out of Akira. It's almost hard to look at, and I like freaky looking fractal-like things.
posted by loquacious at 6:32 PM on July 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by loquacious at 6:32 PM on July 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
Genre of photographs I will never get tired of: Trees gradually devouring manmade objects.
posted by gwint at 6:36 PM on July 19, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by gwint at 6:36 PM on July 19, 2017 [6 favorites]
The spider web filled trees both delight and creep me out in equal measure
posted by Hermione Granger at 6:37 PM on July 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Hermione Granger at 6:37 PM on July 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
Amazing. Particularly impressed by the Dragon's Blood trees, which I had never heard of; they kinda look like giant broccolis.
A little disappointed not to see my own corner of the world represented, so here's a few shots of my own from BC:
what I call the 'Octopus Tree', which I think is a dying fir, on a local hike I do regularly
my pupper, framed by pines and arbutus, at the top of a local mountain
the legendary Lonely Doug
find the owl!
posted by mannequito at 6:43 PM on July 19, 2017 [5 favorites]
A little disappointed not to see my own corner of the world represented, so here's a few shots of my own from BC:
what I call the 'Octopus Tree', which I think is a dying fir, on a local hike I do regularly
my pupper, framed by pines and arbutus, at the top of a local mountain
the legendary Lonely Doug
find the owl!
posted by mannequito at 6:43 PM on July 19, 2017 [5 favorites]
what I call the 'Octopus Tree'
Oh, I assumed you'd be talking about this one. (and searching further, there seem to be a squintillion different trees all being labeled "Octopus" by someone)
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:52 PM on July 19, 2017
Oh, I assumed you'd be talking about this one. (and searching further, there seem to be a squintillion different trees all being labeled "Octopus" by someone)
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:52 PM on July 19, 2017
A photo taken on May 9, 2015 in Petit Canal, in the French overseas island of Guadeloupe, shows an old slave prison where the roots of a cursed fig tree have taken over the place.
Some questions: Is there a specific kind of fig tree that's called a cursed fig tree, or is this just a generically cursed fig tree on account of that time Jesus got hangry and cursed a fig tree for failing to have fruit or whatever? Is this fig tree specifically cursed? Does the curse have anything to do with the slave prison? The proximity of the worlds "old slave prison" and "cursed fig tree" suggest many intriguing stories.
posted by yasaman at 7:46 PM on July 19, 2017 [4 favorites]
Some questions: Is there a specific kind of fig tree that's called a cursed fig tree, or is this just a generically cursed fig tree on account of that time Jesus got hangry and cursed a fig tree for failing to have fruit or whatever? Is this fig tree specifically cursed? Does the curse have anything to do with the slave prison? The proximity of the worlds "old slave prison" and "cursed fig tree" suggest many intriguing stories.
posted by yasaman at 7:46 PM on July 19, 2017 [4 favorites]
The gingko nut (fruit?) pile up on the ground where they rot and smell terrible
Let's be more specific and note that they smell like fresh chunky human vomit.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:53 PM on July 19, 2017 [5 favorites]
Let's be more specific and note that they smell like fresh chunky human vomit.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:53 PM on July 19, 2017 [5 favorites]
Gingko trees have gender; only the females produce the fruit, which smells vile when it rots.
Excellent photos, thanks for posting.
posted by theora55 at 7:58 PM on July 19, 2017
Excellent photos, thanks for posting.
posted by theora55 at 7:58 PM on July 19, 2017
spider tree, spider tree, eats all the skeeters that a spider tree does, covered in webs, hey there spider tree
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 8:06 PM on July 19, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 8:06 PM on July 19, 2017 [4 favorites]
Mannequito, I wonder if your octopus tree is a trail tree
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 8:40 PM on July 19, 2017
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 8:40 PM on July 19, 2017
Ginkos may smell bad, but dinosaurs gotta eat something.
posted by ovvl at 11:02 PM on July 19, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by ovvl at 11:02 PM on July 19, 2017 [2 favorites]
Very cool photos. I love how it was a mix of beautiful, bizarre and amazing. The one that creeped me out the most was the top of that tree poking through a massive field of tires at the abandoned recycling facility. It looks like its suffocating and the abandoned nature of the place makes it feel like there's no hope of rescue. Shudder.
posted by JenMarie at 11:25 PM on July 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by JenMarie at 11:25 PM on July 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
Also bonus points for the deep thoughts reference, I think of those quotes all the time. That one about the trees was a big favorite.
posted by JenMarie at 11:28 PM on July 19, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by JenMarie at 11:28 PM on July 19, 2017 [4 favorites]
Wow. this is spectacular. Thank you for posting this!
2. OK, sure, protest. BUt hey, we know how parasites can mess with the brain. what if trees manages to develop a pollen that causes people to shed their clothes, and grab onto the tree until they die. Thus providing a nice bit of fertilizer at the roots...
5. Increase the dimensions by 10 in every direction, and I think you might have a pretty good Miyazaki tree.
6. 10. 20. 24. 17. 30. 33.: the thing I note is how short a time scale this is. Since I'm writing a novel set tens of thousands of years in the future, this is something to remember.
It also occurs to me trees might like ruins in a jungle, since it gives them a height boost over their competitors for sunlight.
29. Reminding me of the spider forest in Marooned in Realtime. But, given the comment about the reduction in mosquito, I have to wonder about people cultivating spider trees. Maybe eventually domesticating them or creating a spider-tree symbiosis?
31. Somebody is eventually going to genetically engineer these to produce houses, bridges, etc.
posted by happyroach at 12:52 AM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
2. OK, sure, protest. BUt hey, we know how parasites can mess with the brain. what if trees manages to develop a pollen that causes people to shed their clothes, and grab onto the tree until they die. Thus providing a nice bit of fertilizer at the roots...
5. Increase the dimensions by 10 in every direction, and I think you might have a pretty good Miyazaki tree.
6. 10. 20. 24. 17. 30. 33.: the thing I note is how short a time scale this is. Since I'm writing a novel set tens of thousands of years in the future, this is something to remember.
It also occurs to me trees might like ruins in a jungle, since it gives them a height boost over their competitors for sunlight.
29. Reminding me of the spider forest in Marooned in Realtime. But, given the comment about the reduction in mosquito, I have to wonder about people cultivating spider trees. Maybe eventually domesticating them or creating a spider-tree symbiosis?
31. Somebody is eventually going to genetically engineer these to produce houses, bridges, etc.
posted by happyroach at 12:52 AM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
gwint: "Genre of photographs I will never get tired of: Trees gradually devouring manmade objects."
Here is one I spotted this week, a tree being protected as they build up around it. It is enclosed in a cage and they build a huge concrete planter to hold it.
posted by chavenet at 3:58 AM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Here is one I spotted this week, a tree being protected as they build up around it. It is enclosed in a cage and they build a huge concrete planter to hold it.
posted by chavenet at 3:58 AM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
chavenet: "Here is one I spotted this week, a tree being protected as they build up around it. It is enclosed in a cage and they build a huge concrete planter to hold it."
Sorry for the bum link. I think this one works.
posted by chavenet at 8:40 AM on July 20, 2017
Sorry for the bum link. I think this one works.
posted by chavenet at 8:40 AM on July 20, 2017
The one that creeped me out the most was the top of that tree poking through a massive field of tires at the abandoned recycling facility. It looks like its suffocating and the abandoned nature of the place makes it feel like there's no hope of rescue.
I had just the opposite reaction - that was a "Life finds a way" image for me.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:55 AM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
I had just the opposite reaction - that was a "Life finds a way" image for me.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:55 AM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
5_13_23_42_69_666 huh, first I heard of that concept, but cool - could be, although this one is off the trail and hidden from sight - I only came across it the first time on a bathroom break
posted by mannequito at 10:06 AM on July 20, 2017
posted by mannequito at 10:06 AM on July 20, 2017
Stunningly beautiful. Living in California as I do, the pictures of the hollow tree burning from within and the Chilean Forest felled by fire made my heart ache, as did the pictures of the snow-clad trees in the flooded water and the spider web-based trees next to the overbrimming river. 😠climate change 😢
posted by LeftMyHeartInSanFrancisco at 10:51 AM on July 20, 2017
posted by LeftMyHeartInSanFrancisco at 10:51 AM on July 20, 2017
"Also bonus points for the deep thoughts reference"
I was wondering if anyone would get that. :D
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:19 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
I was wondering if anyone would get that. :D
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:19 PM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Many years ago I wrote a blog post on 6 trees. (selflink, obv)
posted by dhruva at 9:40 AM on July 21, 2017
posted by dhruva at 9:40 AM on July 21, 2017
This is just wonderful. Thank you so much for posting it!
posted by kristi at 11:01 AM on July 21, 2017
posted by kristi at 11:01 AM on July 21, 2017
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Also: Anna Endsley enters the Guadalupe River via a rope swing
I've never heard it said that way before.
posted by Literaryhero at 6:27 PM on July 19, 2017 [2 favorites]