On a walk through Gowanus yesterday, at Union St. and 4th Ave., I was attracted by this monster of a weed because of its billowing, large shape and its adjacency to two other interesting things: a billboard and a vacant lot.
As I got a bit closer, I realized I’d seen this plant before growing out of cracks in the pavement in front yards (as well as at the base of the drainpipe tree). It’s got huge, broad, flat leaves, very thick stems, and I’ve usually seen it about 4-5 feet high. But this one had grown into a tree! Must have been about 20 feet high and its trunk and branches covered in thick bark.
But as I got even closer and peeked through the dense leaves, I saw that the “tree” emerged from the ground in between two back-to-back fences and that its trunk had actually grown right through one of them!
It was difficult to take a picture that would illustrate this perfectly. In the above photo (middle-right), you can see the spot where the trunk emerges on one side of the fence – the brown bark forms a lip at the point of exit.
Here’s another view. You can also see a few young stems nonchalantly poking through the fence.
I kept looking and looking to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing! How in the world did the trunk grow that wide around without being throttled by the fence? Is the trunk really only as wide as one measly link-space at the point of passage through the fence? (And how does this affect the strength of the trunk, or the passage of nutrients?) Or is there some way that the trunk could have fused with itself around multiple links?
I am also stumped as to what kind of plant this is. Any ideas, folks?
Love the post, and the tenacity of this tree. I can’t answer your question about how it happens, but I have seen many cases of trees growing AROUND telephone lines. When cut down, the portions that have grown around the wire are left dangling on the wire, clearly preferable to the risk of cutting the wire in trying to detach them. See an example here:
(poor tree! but i guess it got the last word?)
WOW. Its like a really slow motion BLOB. Next time I see a tree i go and hurry. Or something like this might happen:
http://www.welt.de/wissenschaft/article2961505/Wie-Baeume-sich-Gegenstaende-einverleiben.html
(in german but this article explains how it works…)
more pictures:
Seen this plant a lot lately. I don’t think it’s a native for it seems to grow just about any where like the tree of heaven. I’ve watched one grow about 15 to almost I would say 20 ft tall. I’ve also notice it left alone long enough that it will prodouce a white flower but the one i was wacthing eventually was cut down so I couldn’t see if it prodouced seeds. I do know it’s deciduous or well at least it keeps coming back year to year
Definatly it has very thick root maybe a traproot. that’s all I know about it. Wish I knew the name
Wow, these are definitely the most information-rich comments we’ve ever received on this blog Thank you Pfebes, Marko and Robert for all the info.
The pictures on the German article are great – worth clicking through even if you can’t read the rest of the article.
Robert, where have you been seeing the trees – also in the NYC area? Nice that you’ve also been watching particular plants.
Wow, so it IS true that trees can envelop objects as they grow! I had considered this a far-fetched possibility, so I amazed to find out that this is answer! Thanks to Phoebe, Marko and Robert for helping me solve (at least half) of this mystery. ;) I really enjoyed checking out your links. I’m going to do some more searching, so hopefully I’ll come up with the name of this plant soon!
At the risk of straying too far from the original topic, the photos in Marko’s article reminded me of a famous tree in Ayutthaya, the old capital of Thailand from 1350 to 1767.
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/a872a/160bdf/
I learned that the knobs on Buddha’s head are little snails that crawled there voluntarily to protect him from the sun as he sat under his tree. All this time I thought it was his hair.
I believe this is either a Catalpa (native) or Paulownia (non-native invasive). Easiest way to tell them apart is by the seedpods. Catalpa is a legume, and has the characteristic long, bean-like pods. Paulownia has a roundish, nut-like fruit.
Thanks, Xris! Looking at images of the two on google, the leaf shape very much resembles Paulownia (a.k.a. the “Princess tree!”), and it seems likely that that’s it. As far as I know, I’ve never seen these plants in bloom (probably because I have only noticed seedlings), but I do know I’ve seen dried seedpods around Brooklyn just like the ones on the linked Paulownia page. I will have to revisit this tree again in the fall to double-check. Thanks for your input! I’m looking forward to checking out your blog, too.
Leslie, note that Paulownia is another Chinese immigrant!
Phoebe, thank you for pointing out the Buddha head. These pictures of things getting swallowed up by trees are pretty eerie, no? I didn’t know about the snails, either – pretty interesting!
Thanks to all for your investigations!
I’ve seen this particular plant throught nyc but more so within my area in flatbush brooklyn. As a matter of fact one grows at an abandon yeshiva located on the corner of bedford ave and church ave. It has grown very tall within that particular um I would say about at least 20 ft at the moment. I’ve seen it flower once but as far as of this season it seems to have yet done so. From what I’ve observed it seems to flower particular late in the summer season I would say about sept. Makes me think its of tropical of origin for this reason. Another was growing a few blocks away from that location as well but in someones yard. Funny thing about that I would see the person keep hacking aways at the plant as to try to kill it but it would just grow right back. One day viewed the person trying to up root it but at that time the roots have gone too deep to be pulled up. That’s how I come see that it has a trap root like the tree of heaven to store more water during hot days here. Anyhow its funny in away to see the person keep fighting with the plant, maybe next time if I see him ill tell him if let alone it will get even thicker at the base (of which it has already turned brown and become very hard) and grow qutie tall and make a good shade tree prehaps. Haven’t notice any of the native insects taking to it as well.
It sounds like this yard-owner is fighting a losing battle. I’d be curious what would happen if you talk to him. I’m guessing he’s already decide not to accept this plant and won’t be receptive to your advice, but it might be interesting anyway to start a conversation.
It seems there ARE good reasons to fight this plant – since it’s not native, maybe it will upset the ecology. On the other hand, as reader MAZ pointed out about the tree of heaven, in cities, invasives like the Tree of Heaven aren’t really taking habitat away from other plants because they grow in conditions where native plants wouldn’t survive.
In his article on the Tree of Heaven, he writes : “It has discovered a niche in the heat islands of the city which no native tree [in Germany] could occupy: vacant spaces heavily disturbed by humans, the highly saline edges of streets, and damaged areas and cracks in sealed surfaces… It owes its name, Tree of Heaven, to its resistance and fast growth. No tree in Germany grows faster…” (my translation, for original text, visit http://www.raumfragen.org and click Texte > Hederer A.A.)
The plant will eventually die
because it been girdle by the
embedded wire fence
which will block its food sources
overt time
im in western nc and see this tree growing in odd places, like very close to houses in odd ways. Recently we found what i think is one in my back yard, and this is why im researching to find what it is. we cant decide whether to cut it down or let it grow. something in the back of my mind tells me it is very hard to kill once its big. let me know what you find out,please!
This is Pawlonia tomentosa for sure –
different than catalpa but yes similar shaped leaves from afar and big pods. Also called ’empress tree’ or elephant ear’.
Thanks for the very detailed info on Pawlonia, and for visiting!