Every Tuesday, Todd Irvine of Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests (LEAF) will post a stop from the Toronto Tree Tours, a collaborative project of LEAF and the Toronto Public Space Committee. The Toronto Tree Tours offers walking tours in neighbourhoods across the city as well as virtual tours on its web site. The aim is to introduce Torontonians to the individual trees in their neighbourhood while telling stories of our city’s ecological and cultural history.
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This is a young Norway maple (Acer platanoides), a species native to Europe that is often planted in Canadian cities. What is interesting about this specific tree is its unnatural form. Look within the canopy (walk along the driveway and peer in above the trunk) and you will notice that the main branches turn in circles.
When the branches were young and supple, the homeowner, Antonio, who as a child lived in a forested region of Italy, tied them up with wire and string. His intention was to make the tree look like a beautiful woman, you can decide for yourself whether he succeeded.
As the branches aged, their wood grew harder and put on new rings of growth, permanently assuming their uniquely twisted form. This practice of manually directing branch growth is referred to as training.
It is interesting to note that since Antonio has stopped this practice the ends of the branches have reverted to growing in their natural upright form.
Upcoming tours:
TORONTO TREE TOURS @ NUIT BLANCHE
September 29, 2007 | 7:00 pm
Kensington MarketBendale Tree Tour (Scarborough)
October 14, 2007 | 1:00 pm
Birkdale Community Centre
Photo: Front yard of 73 Bartlett St. by Dougal Bichan
One comment
You should call the September 29 event Blanche Du Bois.