It is knotted and gnarled. The wood is weathered and the grain is exposed in areas.
Insects or other animals have had their way with it too. It has little resemblance to a tree but the old twisted trunk and the spruce boughs stretched along the ground are distinguishable upon closer look. In many ways it is a horizontal tree.
This curiosity sits in the shadow of the lighthouse at Seacow Head, Prince Edward Island. The only other vegetation around the base of the lighthouse on the seaward side is grass, with a line of trees behind the structure.
On the leeward side of the tree trunk, a few branches bring nutrition to spruce boughs. Its seaward side has nothing but stubs of branches which have long ago succumbed to the harsh exposure, drought and freezing salt spray, though it sits meters above the Northumberland Strait.
Two years ago, when my husband and I first saw this tree, the trunk was taller and all of the spruce boughs were green.
Now the trunk looks more shrivelled and the green of the boughs is limited to the tips. Time is ravaging the old tree although it looks like this survivor will hold its ground for another year.
How has this solitary tree withstood these harsh conditions to stand and eventually stretch across the Head?
There might be a lesson here.
24 comments:
These are amazing plants and remind me of some of the trees we have here clinging to the sides of the weathered side of some cliff. Courage in green.
Slipping away, slowly.
Neat textures.
Interesting photos and textures. I wish you a very nice weekend.
Certainly a lesson.
I am amazed at its tenacity. And love those textures.
Thank you.
Persevere among hardships! So nice to see how nature sculpts the branches. Love these photos!!
I had to laugh at that first line - knotted and gnarled. That's how I was feeling about my health issues. Now when I feel sorry for myself I will have that visual to draw on and know I'm not quite there yet!
What great textures. It may be slowly dying but it survives for the small creatures we don't see. Super photos!
Have a wonderful weekend, Marie.
Such great photos you have showed to us,Marie.
Especially the forth photo caught my heart.
I agree with your friend saying that it survives for the small creatures.
Have a good weekend.
I saw many similar ones in Colorado in the High Country. We called them krummholz and could actually see their progress over the years across the ground. :-)
Amazing survival, I wonder just how long it will last. Happy weekend, Diane
This is cool and poignant.
Hello,
Love the weathered texture of the old tree. The lighthouse is beautiful too.
Great shots! Enjoy your day and weekend!
Stubborn and persistent.
Nature finds a way.
it looks like beautiful driftwood...but at first glance, i thought it was a skeleton!!
i really like your lighthouse!!
The struggle to survive against adversity. And when it finally dies, and is claimed by the ocean, perhaps it will end up as a weathered piece of driftwood enhancing someone's garden.
It is amazing to see the formations of trees as the salt water shapes them! Beautiful pictures and stories that you always share!
Could you email me privately? I have something I want to share with you :) Blessings!
The salt environment is so hard on trees, isn't it - our cottage is on the north shore of NS and the seaward sides of the evergreens are stunted compared to the landward sides, and in some cases dead. This is a remarkable tree you have shown us, and I agree there is a lesson here for people as well.
Your photographs do show the different markings and textures well.
All the best Jan
Talk about tenacious Marie. We certainly can learn a lot from nature. Beautifully shown here ✨
The speed with which it slips into the future is the key.
That is a very resilient tre
i agree ,there is a message in everything displayed by nature
this one also tells story of it's tough hard survival
wonderfully captured dear Marie!
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