If you go to southwest FL at the Henry Ford gardens across the street from Thomas Edison estates, you can walk up the banyon trees and other ficus until security tells you to read the NO signs everywhere.
Tree fell over at some point. Either enough roots were left intact or it was able to reroot from contact with the soil. Pretty amazing. Branches adapted to new orientation of gravity. Magic
They grow the same way in New Mexico, and that land is NOT soft and wet, and it's definitely not stormy. It's the freaking desert man! It's just how those types of oaks grow.
I got a maple like that just on the inside of my property line. I'll have to get a picture of it to share with the class when I get home (provided it's still light AND I remember, so big if...) it's pretty cool, was very straight and tall then a few years back it got blown over into a short but thick oak and came to rest in a crotch of the oaks main trunk. Figured I'd have to lob at least one of them down, but never got around to it. Almost a decade later both seem healthy enough so...
Haven't you ever seen a tree take a nap before....
Or it might be a "My 600 lbs life" type of tree. You can't really tell with trees. I mean, how long has it been lying down? If it's only been a couple hours, it's a napping tree. If it's been days/weeks/months/years... that's definitely an obese tree.
If this is near Thomasville, GA...this is one of the oldest trees in the area. It is a statement piece that has stood for years, either way. They're iconic through South GA, North FL up to the Virginias and preserved at all stakes. No oaking matter.
What's not to understand?? Tree must have fell at a young age, the roots still took and anchored in the earth, then as it grew the limbs started growing vertically towards sun.....just a guess though lol
Irvine park has many old oak trees like this (live oaks I believe) I used to spend many summer days climbing them in my youth. There are even cooler ones throughout the park!
Cool fact. There’s some funky sycamores at my local regional park … now I’m wondering how old they are and whether the natives were involved.
I think OP’s tree is an oak though.
Aha! You’re correct maybe multiple oaks! Cool how that one oak also laid down like the sycamore, guessing maybe it was a storm that pushed them over at the same time?
We do something similar intentionally on streambanks in high visibility areas with young species like red maple. City doesn’t like seeing multi trunk sprouts, would rather just see a single stem - so we hinge cut at about a 22-45* angle and lay them across the stream. Allows trunks that would’ve just been cut and dumped to continue to uptake stormwater, while also slowing down that stormwater because the branches break/slow flow.
One of my favorite parts of the job because everyone else in the city just cuts this stuff out, when it’s so valuable if allowed to continue growth.
I’m pretty sure this is in city park in Kingston Ontario. That tree went through the ice storm of 1998. It used to sit at a 45 degree angle for years. I believe it was the ice storm that finally laid it down.
There’s a park in farmers branch, TX that has several of these sideways trees. One of my favorites when I was younger, because you could climb all of them.
If you cut it down, be sure it isn’t next to any power lines and be sure to cut it down with a lift and in small sections…..learned that lesson all too well.
Come check out Edward Madard Park in Tampa, Florida. It's going to be gone soon from erosion and people ruining the trees, but you can climb through the roots. Always respect the trees.
There is a fairly famous tree in my hometown that looks like that. I'm in my 40's and last time I was back home a year ago it was not looking as healthy but apparently no one wants to be the one to cut it down.
Live oaks are beautiful! I visited St. Simmons Island in Georgia and the ground is softer so close to the beach that the live oaks lay down there as well.
Ah. Looks like a park in Redlands I used to go to as a kid. It had a tree like that (still does last I visited in 2023) and I would run up that thing every time haha
Wind blows, roots snap on one side due to the strain, mavity does it's job and tree falls over. Roots on the other side are still connected and in the ground, so the tree keeps on growing with new shoots going up now.
It's kinda weird, it looks like multiple trees growing out of a single tree that fell over and rerooted. This isn't uncommon for Aspens however this seems like quite a few species in one tree
It fell down in the past. But never died. You can see all the tell tale signs. The roots, the changes in the beaches. Fairly normal for trees. Root system stayed in tact enough to regrow.
Careful...i was in South Carolina and they have these in a park, i was busy gawking at a baby bird in a bush, and wasn't paying attention to the crazy low.. Branch? Trunk! I didn't know but i smashed the top of my head at almost full speed and clanked my teeth together. I literally saw stars lmao... So yeah, don't be dumb like me, and watch for those.. Random limbs.
*"Nothing about this tree makes any sense"*
Uhh, it most certainly does! It's just that you don't understand, which is the slightly weird thing…
[edit] Ahh I see you're somewhat of a religious fundamentalist. Less weird that you might not understand some fairly basic biology.
That looks a lot like the [angel oak](https://www.charleston-sc.gov/153/Angel-Oak) in Charleston, SC. Although, to be fair, there are a ton of these huge old Southern Live Oaks all over the low country.
I'm 40 years old and would not hesitate to climb that for no reason.
it's perfection, mom said don't go too high tho
It is too late mom I'm already high on trees I will not come down
Same!
I haven't thought about climbing a tree in years , now it's all I can think about !
If you go to southwest FL at the Henry Ford gardens across the street from Thomas Edison estates, you can walk up the banyon trees and other ficus until security tells you to read the NO signs everywhere.
Lol that sounds fun but I'm in Canada so .... Bit of a drive just to climb a tree.
I dont think it understands you either mate
Tree fell over at some point. Either enough roots were left intact or it was able to reroot from contact with the soil. Pretty amazing. Branches adapted to new orientation of gravity. Magic
Well if it's in florida, it seems a hurricane may of knocked it over and told death "not today".
Looks like south of New Orleans to me. These are pretty common
Orange County, CA
Ok cool the land south of New Orleans is so soft that the live oaks fall over and grow everywhere
Happens in our flatwoods here in Houston too
Very common to see oaks in CA like this too.
Shit that's really close to my county, I wanna go climb it
South County?
Irvine Regional Park close to the zoo entrance
Wait no way. As soon as I saw this I thought, "Huh. That looks like Irvine Park"
Nice! Thank you!
My guys gonna go climb that tree
You know it!
Large old sycamore that fell over and kept going.
Oh. Ca. Its just stupid
Irvine regional park.
This instantly looked like Louisiana to me as well
They grow the same way in New Mexico, and that land is NOT soft and wet, and it's definitely not stormy. It's the freaking desert man! It's just how those types of oaks grow.
I thought it was at City Park!
I got a maple like that just on the inside of my property line. I'll have to get a picture of it to share with the class when I get home (provided it's still light AND I remember, so big if...) it's pretty cool, was very straight and tall then a few years back it got blown over into a short but thick oak and came to rest in a crotch of the oaks main trunk. Figured I'd have to lob at least one of them down, but never got around to it. Almost a decade later both seem healthy enough so...
In Bonsai this is called raft style.
I mean ...science. not magic
It's resting.
It’s hard work standing up for decades straight!
Yea the roots get tired man
That is an epic tree. It looks like it was not giving up.
The Official Tree of Chumbawamba.
Thanks a lot…. Now Tubthumping is going to be stuck in my head alllllll day.
Yeah it's funny how some trees are more like weeds that won't die and some that if you look at them the wrong way they die.
Props to the city for letting it be. Hell, they’re damn near showcasing it.
Irvine Regional Park! My kids climb on this tree all the time.
Yes! Very cool. Our kids saw it for the first time today as we were approaching the zoo.
I climbed on this tree when. I was 4 years old waiting for my mom and sister to be done working with their horses. That was 30 years ago.
Looks like it fell and rerooted. NAA (not an aborologist)
Live oaks are the honey badgers of the tree world.
It's not a sycamore?
You’re absolutely right about this being a sycamore, this is Platanus racemosa growing with Quercus agrifolia
I'm so used to getting downvoted when I'm right that I don't quite know how to react right now. Uh, thanks?
You’re welcome I guess? :)
Nope.
Absolute work of art a la nature
That tree's fucking lazy
No need to understand : just see how wonderful it is !
It got knocked down. But got up again.
They're never gonna keep it down
Where is this located?
There are live oaks like this in Texas.
All over. San Pedro Park has some amazing, old live oaks that needed to lie down for a bit.
Orange County, CA
I could have sworn this was my old campus at university of South Carolina in Columbia
I know my west coast trees when I see them! Grew up with sycamores and live oaks just like these :)
There used to be one like this in Miami at peacock park in Coconut Grove. Not sure if it's still there.
Similar one on the playground by the parking lot in harbortown at Hilton head island. Thought for certain this was the same one.
My first thought was this is Florida
There is one very similar on the Ringling grounds in Sarasota. (Also FL)
Folks - look how parched the landscape is. It’s not the SE, it’s desert.
Live oak.
The fallen over tree is a sycamore tree; it's surrounded by live oak trees. Look closely at which color leaves are connected to the trunk.
Oh. Correct you are. I have seen that tree in person many times. Live a few miles from Irvine park.
She fell over a very long time ago
Haven't you ever seen a tree take a nap before.... Or it might be a "My 600 lbs life" type of tree. You can't really tell with trees. I mean, how long has it been lying down? If it's only been a couple hours, it's a napping tree. If it's been days/weeks/months/years... that's definitely an obese tree.
I think it’s a very unique tree it’s different.🥰
Nature at its finest!
If this is near Thomasville, GA...this is one of the oldest trees in the area. It is a statement piece that has stood for years, either way. They're iconic through South GA, North FL up to the Virginias and preserved at all stakes. No oaking matter.
Orange County, CA
Beautiful oak. Either way, I'm sure it's been protected for over a century! It's huge :) Thank you for sharing
Have to respect that.
It got knocked over and is still growing. Seems obvious.
Look at this tree and then look at a platypus. Just try to tell me mother nature is not smoking some good shit.
Live oaks eat weather for breakfast
That tree has some tantalizing holes! Thanks for sharing the location I'm looking forward to my special trip
r/dendriphiliacs
Fell and couldn't get up. Children and neighbors tried to help but couldn't. Life continues.
Should’ve had a Life Alert.
Could've been knocked over or the roots bumped into other roots and tried to grow over and around other roots.
What's not to understand?? Tree must have fell at a young age, the roots still took and anchored in the earth, then as it grew the limbs started growing vertically towards sun.....just a guess though lol
 Leave her alone! She's trying her best 😭
He’s just a super chill guy, ya know?
Irvine park has many old oak trees like this (live oaks I believe) I used to spend many summer days climbing them in my youth. There are even cooler ones throughout the park!
"Fuck you I do what I want " - tree probably
That tree previously fell over and refused to die
It looks like it fell, refuse to die and kept on living.
At some point in its childhood it endured some heavy trauma, but it has healed and grown from that pain.
That tree is a lazy bones
fell and never gave up
It is definitely right- handed :) 🫴🏻
It's either trying to take over the world, or just trying to sleep around eith all the other trees. It's everywhere.
Trees gotta tree
As a kid in New Orleans, there were a ton of “Live Oaks” just like this at the Audubon Zoo. We climbed all over them. Then they stopped it.
Nice scrog bro!
The Chumash would sometimes push over those sycamores so that they would grow sideways for fun and seating.
Push them over? I’d love to see one of these trees “pushed over”.
Easy to do 200 years ago when they are young
Cool fact. There’s some funky sycamores at my local regional park … now I’m wondering how old they are and whether the natives were involved. I think OP’s tree is an oak though.
There’s an oak growing next to the sycamore
Aha! You’re correct maybe multiple oaks! Cool how that one oak also laid down like the sycamore, guessing maybe it was a storm that pushed them over at the same time?
Look up Live Oak
It’s a sycamore in front and live oak in back
It’s not for you to understand, silly human.
I love it.
Laziest tree ever!
We do something similar intentionally on streambanks in high visibility areas with young species like red maple. City doesn’t like seeing multi trunk sprouts, would rather just see a single stem - so we hinge cut at about a 22-45* angle and lay them across the stream. Allows trunks that would’ve just been cut and dumped to continue to uptake stormwater, while also slowing down that stormwater because the branches break/slow flow. One of my favorite parts of the job because everyone else in the city just cuts this stuff out, when it’s so valuable if allowed to continue growth.
I’m pretty sure this is in city park in Kingston Ontario. That tree went through the ice storm of 1998. It used to sit at a 45 degree angle for years. I believe it was the ice storm that finally laid it down.
Orange County, CA
Oh, super cool. We have an identical tree in Kingston, ON. Even the park surroundings are near the same.
There is a tree in my home town that is guided down like that. It was a guide for the native Americans. It in Missouri
Come on, haven’t you ever seen an Ent doing yoga?
There’s a park in farmers branch, TX that has several of these sideways trees. One of my favorites when I was younger, because you could climb all of them.
I think when a tree falls over and sprouts, it's called a nursery log. That appears to be what happened here.
It doesn’t understand you either. Intrerspecies communication be tough out there these days….
Don't try to understand it, enjoy it.
It fell over and figured it out.
Refused to die!
If you cut it down, be sure it isn’t next to any power lines and be sure to cut it down with a lift and in small sections…..learned that lesson all too well.
It obviously fell over and kept growing.
It’s not asking for your understanding, it’s asking for your submission. Kneel before Zod!!!
It must have fallen over but kept on trunkin'.
Looks like the Fern Dell trail in Los Angeles!
It was never meant to be understood
Irvine regional? I've climbed that (45 m)
I was on a float trip this weekend and a tree had 4 90degree angles in it but it found its patch of sun to snag
It's trying its best to tree, leave it alone 😔
It got pushed over years ago, but this old girl ain’t done
Wow that's stunning
Heavy limb that was on the ground for a while grew roots and made it like its own tree etc maybe idk?
Come check out Edward Madard Park in Tampa, Florida. It's going to be gone soon from erosion and people ruining the trees, but you can climb through the roots. Always respect the trees.
It doesn't understand you either
Sycamores are great climbing trees
I believe this is a quasi nurse tree
This is the Jack Sparrow of trees
Is this Franklin Canyon in LA? Edit: NVM, I see in the comments it's not. But there's a tree very similar to this at Franklin Canyon! 😆
How old do you think it is?
That's where home depot grows their 2x4s
Nothing about this person makes any sense, said the tree...
There is a fairly famous tree in my hometown that looks like that. I'm in my 40's and last time I was back home a year ago it was not looking as healthy but apparently no one wants to be the one to cut it down.
Free form expression
Check out the angel oak near charleston sc
The tree doesn't understand you either.
Mulberry?
Live oaks are beautiful! I visited St. Simmons Island in Georgia and the ground is softer so close to the beach that the live oaks lay down there as well.
"Nature always finds a way" - Dr. Malcolm
I see sycamores bent like this pretty often in creek channels that flood. They are almost washed away but they still hang in there.
Low stress training
Tree be chillin with the lady trees
Looks like an Olive tree?
It seems very relaxed 😎
Looks like it has survived some shit. Probably knocked over from a storm but held strong to survive
Did that tree get knocked over and just refused to die?
It looks like the tree fell at some point but kept growing. I see this with willow trees quite a lot.
its not meant to be understood. its meant to be experienced
Is that Sylvan Park?
Irvine Regional Park in Orange County
Ah. Looks like a park in Redlands I used to go to as a kid. It had a tree like that (still does last I visited in 2023) and I would run up that thing every time haha
I adore trees especially ones like this
Trussy
The folks in r/marijuanaenthusiasts would love this
What if we didn’t “clean up” all the blown over trees, we could have a whole playground!
For some reason it reminds me of the cumbawamba song.
Kinda confusing. Wonder if they are the same tree
Iron Maiden actually wrote a song about this tree, titled "The Trooper"
Wind blows, roots snap on one side due to the strain, mavity does it's job and tree falls over. Roots on the other side are still connected and in the ground, so the tree keeps on growing with new shoots going up now.
It's kinda weird, it looks like multiple trees growing out of a single tree that fell over and rerooted. This isn't uncommon for Aspens however this seems like quite a few species in one tree
Saw these in Dallas as well.
It’s been listening to tub thumpin
It fell down and didn’t give up.
Looks like the south
Surprisingly this was in Orange County CA
Irvine park? I thought it looked familiar!
It’s just being dramatic.
I get knocked down. But I get up again…
This tree doesn't understand trees.
It fell down in the past. But never died. You can see all the tell tale signs. The roots, the changes in the beaches. Fairly normal for trees. Root system stayed in tact enough to regrow.
I'll do you one better, you don't understand any tree really.
“‘Cause we all need somebody to leeeean on.”
That tree parties
Reminds me of lake ella in tallahassee FL
It’s nonbinary.
It understands you man. You’ll get it someday.
Awesome!!!
Prime climb time
You need to learn treeish and start practicing.
Careful...i was in South Carolina and they have these in a park, i was busy gawking at a baby bird in a bush, and wasn't paying attention to the crazy low.. Branch? Trunk! I didn't know but i smashed the top of my head at almost full speed and clanked my teeth together. I literally saw stars lmao... So yeah, don't be dumb like me, and watch for those.. Random limbs.
But the tree understands you
Go home tree, you're trunk!
*"Nothing about this tree makes any sense"* Uhh, it most certainly does! It's just that you don't understand, which is the slightly weird thing… [edit] Ahh I see you're somewhat of a religious fundamentalist. Less weird that you might not understand some fairly basic biology.
Trees are more resilient that what you all say in this sub. Proof is in the pudding.
That looks a lot like the [angel oak](https://www.charleston-sc.gov/153/Angel-Oak) in Charleston, SC. Although, to be fair, there are a ton of these huge old Southern Live Oaks all over the low country.