Two trees in one

[twisted firestarter]

While out bimbling earlier I spotted this mature willow tree with an ash tree growing from the centre! some of the ash poles were about 10 feet long.





I just wondered if anyone else has seen anything like it? I do remember seeing a photo some years ago of a yew tree growing through a natural hole in a rowan tree (or was it the other way round?) :wow1:

 

[rich59]

I guess it got started in a bit of leaf mould in a crevice up there somewhere.

I once had the thought that you could sow a tree seed directly under the bark of another tree as it provided moisture. I tried it with elder. I didn't work.

 

[JonnyP]

Well spotted, I love unusual things about trees.....

 

[SOAR]

It looks like the willow has been cut back at some point and maybe soli or like you said leaf mold up there. Ash seadlings will grow anywhere, like sycamore seadlings. willow will cary on growing even of its been cut to the stump and will keep growing with the ash up there. I cut a tree down for my mum and it was actually three trees in one all growing together there was willow hawthorn and apple.

 

[rich59]

Could the ash actually root in the willow and get moisture from it?

 

[SOAR]

yeh Willow wood is full of water and if it has hollows in it from decay or insects burrowing into it the ash will seek it out. It would be interesting to keep an eye on the tree over the years to see how they develope together, kind of a battle for survival, which one will overcome the other. They are both highly adaptable trees in their own right,. Ash grows quickly, but the willow regenarates very well.

 

[twisted firestarter]

I cut a tree down for my mum and it was actually three trees in one all growing together there was willow hawthorn and apple.

Out of curiosity did the heartwood look like 3 trees intertwined and did you keep any logs?

I imagine it would make for some interesting lathe material

 

[SOAR]

No they were inter twined with each other, the willow was the largest more dominant out of the three. The branches were actually grafting around each other, with the branches rubbing against each other in the wind it created legions and eventually grafted them together, it was interesting as they twisted around each other, But the end result sadly wasn't worth keeping any wood to turn.

 

[xylaria]

I know a hawthorn with elder sprouting out of its branches. Wierd chimera of a tree. There is also a willow elder wrapped together. The elder seems to be doing better out of relationship though. I have seen elders grow on other trees but never anything grow on a elder.

 

[rich59]

I know a hawthorn with elder sprouting out of its branches. Wierd chimera of a tree. There is also a willow elder wrapped together. The elder seems to be doing better out of relationship though. I have seen elders grow on other trees but never anything grow on a elder.

I have tried grafting elder on elder a number of times with no success so far. I don't think I am very good at grafting anyway.

 

[xylaria]

I have tried grafting elder on elder a number of times with no success so far. I don't think I am very good at grafting anyway.

Well you asking Elder to obey rules it ain't gonna happen . They are very strange plants which do some very odd things. I have just been battering my head here , so buddejia can set seed in a tree occasionally and I have never heard of figworts or mulliens been sold a grafted garden plants even though they are common plants in garden centres. Can elder graft? I know if you put dry 'dead' sticks of it in ground and it sprouts back to life.

The cases I have seen aren't grafting they are merging and then chimeraism happens. The hawthorn elder has a small trunk of elder nearly incased by the far thicker trunk of hawthorn. The crown is 50/50. There is elder shoots growing out of hawthorn branches. The willow elder is alot less healthy, There are two distinct trunks one healthy elder and one sick willow, the elder hooks over to form a 5ft high croquet hoop shape with the willow trunk, the crown is mostly elder with sections of willow. Progressively over the last 7 years less and less willow is produced in the crown.

 

[SOAR]

Elder is another plant that can seed for fun i have seen it growing out of walls before. Hawthorn is a good tree to graft to, lots of Cherry trees are grafted to hawtorn root stocks, another tree which is grafted to hawthorn is sorbus aria. You can normally tell if a tree is diseased or is strugling because its original root stock sends up sucker shoots from the trunk.

 

[gregorach]

I've seen a rowan seedling growing out of a alder tree once...

 

[locum76]

I've seen a rowan seedling growing out of a alder tree once...

the one at the Loch Chon camp site?

Some of you guys seem to know your trees very well, have you ever seen or tried an apple 'family tree'? that is grafting several varieties of apple on to one mature tree.

 

[twisted firestarter]

have you ever seen or tried an apple 'family tree'? that is grafting several varieties of apple on to one mature tree.

I understand it's also possible to graft various citrus varieties onto one tree. How cool would it be to have orange, lemon, lime,grapefruit and clementines on one tree

 

[mr dazzler]

Your right about willow soar, its like houdini the great escape. It comes back from the dead. I once had a clump of willow where the bloke had clipped it trying to do tiopary . It was a dense ball of dry old branches and twigs, I thought cut it all. So there was a stump just 3 inch diameter and only about 6 inch sticking out. Next year the new growth was 20 foot high and inch thick branches. And looked absolutely healthy too. All that root energy into new shoots sort of a coppiced willow

 

[SOAR]

Its a real survivor.

 

[gregorach]

the one at the Loch Chon camp site?

Indeed it was.

 

[addo]

If u lookup at the roofs of old buildings, u often see birch growing out of chimney pots. Also there are old sandstone quaries near me with mature sycamore, ash growing straight out of the rockface.
Used to live near a big old bramley tree, but when you looked closely it was 80% Misletoe. The birds used to gorge themselves on the sticky berries and wipe their beeks on the apple bark cause it was rough and new misletoe would appear.
Seen trees growing through old decayed specimens cause they were hollow. the new tree grows quicker and straighter cause of the nutrients at the roots and protection from elements.
Trees will grow almost anywhere but tend to fall over in the more unusual places. Id love to see the birch/yew saplings ive found near the top of 80' poplars grow well!

 

[Tantalus]

Not too sure why you would want to graft elder but there is an easy way to get new elder plants, just pull off the complete little tufts that sprout from dry stems and pot them.

Once they have grown to garden planting size , plant 2 or 3 different kinds close together in a clump

Tant