I first met this apple tree on February 6, 2022. It was a chance meeting, not one either one of us sought out. I was doing some exploring along the coast with a few hours to spare before the "golden hour" of sunset was upon us, and it was a glorious, partly cloudy but windy afternoon. I was on a small island along the coast, and looking to get closer to the water hoping to find some sheltering sea ducks. As I came around a corner and started to drop down a hill - this amazing sight greeted me. I stopped dead in my tracks - such an incredible, old apple tree - weathered and bent - standing bravely alone, watching the tides come and go.
It was impossible not to enjoy the view almost as much as the tree. But the tree told a STORY. The windswept look is something familiar to many people who spend time near the coast - the prevailing winds can affect the direction of trunk growth. Storm winds push on tree crowns, and cause root plates to rock. Trees then respond to the structural stress, and reactive growth is the result. Otherwise, the forces will eventually result in structural failure. The gnarled trunk on this tree speaks of reactive growth, and the lost upward limb on the left side tells the tale of structural failure. But there is much more to the story than simple wind force. Gravity is a constant downward force that all trees must contend with, but when that tree has the additional stress of ice or water loading, the sudden addition of weight can affect the application of gravity resulting in failure. On average, Maine trees are exposed to 25 or more days of significant icing per year, plus 20 days of thunderstorm activity, AND 4 wind events exceeding 50 mph per year! That is a tremendous amount of stress for a tree. In fact, ice accumulation can amount to 20-50 times the dry weight of branches and twigs - additionally making them stiff, increasing resistance to the wind, and decreasing the ability of the crown to reconfigure with the force - resulting in structural failure.
I found myself thinking about this tree recently, and wanting to reconnect. I made a special trip to visit my lone tree friend. As you can see in the above photo, there was no snow load after the mild winter so far, but there was a marked amount of wind - enough so that I was pitifully hiding out of the gale force to take the photos and nursing cold ears and fingers - while the apple continued to proudly stand. But something else was different, as well. I was acutely aware of the sea spray, which was not present last year. This salt can also affect the growth of the tree. If a wind storm is accompanied by rain, the salt will be washed off the tree. However, if strong winds are absent precipitation, the salt will deposit on the side of the tree facing into the wind - and will not be washed off. This causes the side opposite the salt deposit to grow more luxiriantly, contributing to the lopsided canopy.
I spent some time reading about the different stresses and forces trees are subject to and how it shapes them. It is truly a fascinating and complicated subject, and makes spending time with a lone tree which isn't sheltered by buddy trees so much more interesting. It also occurred to me that I've only ever visited in the winter, when the naked stark shape of the trunk and branches yield themselves so easily to observation. When I left my apple this time, I promised to be back for a visit while it is in full glory - the spring apple blossom. Although I yearn for spring to come in the deep winter each year, this time, I have something else special to look forward to.
There is something else neat to enjoy coming up soon in the spring........ If this picture isn't a good enough clue, pop over to my instagram account to find out what that is -- and if you like what you see, follow me!
