Orange Circle Studio

When we put together our Trees calendar, we searched for the most beautiful images we could find. However, Neatorama may have another angle on the trees topic: a while ago, they put together a post on the most unique and interesting trees in the world. Here are 5 of our favorites from that list:

1. Circus Trees

How amazing are these Circus Trees? Swedish farmer Axel Erlandson (1884-1964) created these impressive tree sculptures by planting several trees, and bending them into these interesting shapes. The process may sound easier than it was, Erlandson kept his work very secret, and never shared how he grafted and bent his designs into place. Erlandson’s trees (like the “Basket Tree” and “Two Leg Tree” shown above) have made over 12 appearances in Ripley’s Believe it Or Not!

2. Chapel-Oak Tree

In 1669, l’Abbe du Detroit and du Cerceau built a chapel out of a tree that had been struck by lighting (the lighting hollowed out the tree). Now the tree stump is home to two chapels, and a spiral staircase around the trunk provides access to these chapels. This tree is a popular place of worship in France, and you may want to visit it while you have the chance – the aging Chapel-Oak will not  live much longer. Oak shingles cover holes and weak spots the tree has acquired over time.

3. Pando, The Quaking Aspen

This may look like a forest full of trees, but in actuality, they are the stems of a single organism with a complex, underground root system! This Quaking Aspen is known as Pando, and is located in Utah. At 80,000 years of age, some believe that the root system of Pando is one of the oldest living organisms in the world.

4. The Banyan Tree

That may look like pieces of fabric (or snakes?) hanging from the branches of the Banyan Tree, but in fact, they are the aerial roots! These roots hang from the branches and eventually grow into the trunks of the tree, making the Banyan tree wider with age. The unique appearance of the tree has lent itself well to works of fiction - Robinson Crusoe made a Banyan tree his home in the novel by Daniel Defoe, and in the novel Hothouse by Brian Aldiss, a single banyan tree covers half of the world’s surface.

5. The Lonely Tree of Ténéré

The L’Abre du Ténéré was the world’s loneliest tree. Located in the Sahara desert in Niger, Africa, Ténéré was a staggering 250 miles from any other tree. As the last member of a group of acacias, the Lonely Tree didn’t succumb to the dry desert. In 1973, it was struck down by a drunk driver, and was replaced by a metal pole that honors the famous tree.

Comment below and tell us which one of the trees is your favorite!

(Photos courtesy Neatorama.com)