Tree trunks don't grow up

[blissville maples]

Pulling last few hundred taps today and always think of what may have caused this, all other tree's the fence has stayed at normal height. I've always heard a fence in a tree will always stay at that height, and usually seems to. Any thoughts here?

Is about 8 feet off the ground.....22363

[Michael Greer]

My only thought is that they built that fence over a deep snow drift or brush pile. I can remember tapping one year in really deep snow, and taking down the lines later cause they were 6 or 7 feet off the ground.

[blissville maples]

Perhaps the ground level has changed or snow. I've wondered about this for probably 8 years now!! Hard to say I guess my thoughts are this tree is different than most in way it grew. Perhaps this particular tree did grow upwards. Not sure.

I've always wanted to post a pic of it and finally had phone on me.

Be interesting to see other pics of things you don't see everyday

[DrTimPerkins]

Can't really see much in the photo. Is there barbed wire going through that horizontal wound?

Regardless, you are correct. Tree STEMS do not grow upward like grasses do. The grow in areas called "meristems." They do grow outward (extension) at the tips of buds and roots, but once there is "wood", any growth is in girth -- that is outwardly, due to cambial growth.

[blissville maples]

Yes, It's a length of barbed wire coming out of the wound, it's approximately 8' up off the ground.

I guess there must be a reason for this, but it does seem as the tree trunk grew upwards.

The only other thing I can think of is the tree was bent over or driven over by tractor, the fence was attached, and then the tree straightened back out but if the tree was large enough to support a fencing staple it would be hard to believe that tree could bend over and then straighten back out.

[bill m]

My guess is that they needed to access the land on the other side of the fence without cutting it so they lifted and tacked it up there but never lowered it back down. Same as when I am working in one of my sugarbushes. I will prop up a sap line with a cut off sapling so I can get around with my equipment.

[blissville maples]

My guess is that they needed to access the land on the other side of the fence without cutting it so they lifted and tacked it up there but never lowered it back down. Same as when I am working in one of my sugarbushes. I will prop up a sap line with a cut off sapling so I can get around with my equipment.

There it is! Very good possibility that I never once thought of, pretty likely what happened as I think about it. This property was a Sugarbush 50-70 years ago and most non maple have been cut, perhaps on last trip they never stopped to lower fence back down.....

[Z/MAN]

I have 4 Maples trees in my back yard that are growing in a square. I built a large treehouse (sleeps 4) 11 feet above ground on 2x12s. Each was lag bolted on one end and resting on J brackets on the end so it could slide with the movement of the trees in high winds. A few years went by with no problems. Then one of the trees died. I cut the top of the tree off at the height of the middle of the treehouse keeping the dead tree standing to support the treehouse. After a few years we noticed that the door was hard to close. Right now it is almost impossible. The whole treehouse is now out of wack and the door frame is no longer square and plumb! Viewing the front deck of the treehouse from a distance it is obvious that the side attached to the dead tree is much lower than the other side. ( I haven't measured it but I am sure it is at least 3-4 inches difference) I also have a set of stairs attached to the side that has landing on the way up. The stairs are also no longer sitting level as the rise of the trees has pulled the steps up and pulled the landing closer to the treehouse leaving the lower set of steps tilted. I beg to differ that trees do not grow upwards!

[Super Sapper]

I have 4 Maples trees in my back yard that are growing in a square. I built a large treehouse (sleeps 4) 11 feet above ground on 2x12s. Each was lag bolted on one end and resting on J brackets on the end so it could slide with the movement of the trees in high winds. A few years went by with no problems. Then one of the trees died. I cut the top of the tree off at the height of the middle of the treehouse keeping the dead tree standing to support the treehouse. After a few years we noticed that the door was hard to close. Right now it is almost impossible. The whole treehouse is now out of wack and the door frame is no longer square and plumb! Viewing the front deck of the treehouse from a distance it is obvious that the side attached to the dead tree is much lower than the other side. ( I haven't measured it but I am sure it is at least 3-4 inches difference) I also have a set of stairs attached to the side that has landing on the way up. The stairs are also no longer sitting level as the rise of the trees has pulled the steps up and pulled the landing closer to the treehouse leaving the lower set of steps tilted. I beg to differ that trees do not grow upwards!

Your issue may be the drying out of the dead tree and thus having shrinkage and pulling that portion down some.

[DrTimPerkins]

Your issue may be the drying out of the dead tree and thus having shrinkage and pulling that portion down some.

This is the most likely explanation. Live trees do not grow up (meaning that a point on the stem of a tree will not move upward over time).

Trees have apical meristems (growth zones) at the tips (buds) of branches and at roots. These grow outward from the tips, but extension is limited to only a short distance over a fairly period of time (one growing season) before new buds take over the next year.

They also have radial meristems (cambium) where they grow outward (in girth) by putting on new xylem (sapwood) and new phloem (inner bark, where sugars flow in the summer period).

Some other types of plants, like grasses, have basal (bottom) meristems, which grow from the base, which is why you can cut the top off and it'll just keep growing back. This is an adaption to grazing by animals.

What you're likely seeing with your treehouse is shrinkage of the wood in the stem as the tree has dried out over time and settling of the tree as the roots die, decay, and shrink.

[berkshires]

What part of the tree are the brackets attached to? The main trunk? Big branches? Branches certainly move. I think they can become more or less vertically oriented relative to the stem over time, so that could be a difference. They also get thicker, so that could be a difference.

GO

[TapTapTap]

Another possibility is that the unloading of the stump by removal of the tree above caused it to gradually release towards a more neutral position. This could have caused all of the other trees bound together by the platform to shift laterally with rotation and vertical movement. I can imagine this if the removed tree had an unbalanced weight distribution, perhaps with a large branch off to one side.
Ken