Crazy Ramification - Mature Beech

[AnthonyB]

Yes, not bonsai, but I drove by this house today and had to double back to take a picture. Say what you want about the aesthetics, but you have to admire the unwavering commitment, vision (and budget) it took (over many years) to achieve this …

 

[just.wing.it]

Impressive!

 

[james]

That’s crazy town. Where is that, may I ask? Never seen anything at that scale before.

 

[rich815]

They sorta let the ones in the foreground go though didn’t they....

 

[AnthonyB]

It's a house in the Bridlepath neighbourhood in Toronto. Pretty expensive real estate, usually top 3 of the most expensive places to buy a home in Canada. Many of the homes provide ample evidence of the uncoupling of taste and wealth (Drake recently bought a place there) but there are definitely some amazing properties.

It's not an old neighbourhood though, started in the 30's. So those trees can't be any older than 80-90 years I figure (they are easily 3-4' across at the base). But if you note how close the lowest branches are to ground level, you get an appreciation for how long the sculpting of these two has been going on. On one hand, you would think they must have been grown from relatively small nursery stock and planned from the outset to keep their lowest branches. On the other the branch thickness is pretty consistent all the way up. I would think that you would end up with thicker lower branches if you had built those trees over decades.

Regardless I was just stunned thinking about how this is maintained. I imagine a team of Japanese arborists parachuted in once or twice a year (with a crane!).

Once they are in leaf, I'll post a follow up

 

[rich815]

They are cool trees, really cool. I almost thought it was a photoshop job at first! I am still in awe how the smoothness of the shape and contour is kept so high up and without any stray branches protruding the profile. Yes, please follow up when in leaf. Thanks for sharing.

 

[sorce]

It's like a potter's version of crop circles!

Sorce