PONTHUS’ BEECH Photograph by CHRISTOPHE KICIAK In this incredible photograph by Christophe Kiciak, we see the beautiful Ponthus’ Beech, located in Brocéliande forest in Bretagne, France. According to Kiciak: “Different stories exist, but a common one is that Ponthus, a knight of the round table, lived in a castle there, somewhere around…
STRIPPED BY LIGHTNING Photograph by Fidget08 on Reddit In this incredible sighting, we see a tree completely stripped of its bark after being struck by lightning. The photograph was taken by Redditor Fidget08 who says he noticed the tree on his way to work this morning. The photo was submitted a mere…
YOKOHAMA CHERRY BLOSSOMS IN BLOOM Photograph by AGUSTIN RAFAEL REYES Website | 500px | Flickr | Twitter | Google+ | Facebook In this stunning photograph by Agustin Rafael Reyes, we see cherry blossoms in bloom in the Tszuki Ward of Yokohama, Japan. In Japan, the traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of…
THOUSAND YEAR OLD BAOBAB Photograph by DAN DOUCETTE @ Project Noah Spotted in the Ifaty reserve, north of Tulear in southwestern Madagascar (Lat: -23.15, Long: 43.62), is this incredible Baobab tree that is purportedly a thousand years old. Adansonia za, common name Baobab, is a species of flowering plant in the genus…
Bonsai is a Japanese art form using miniature trees grown in containers. Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penjing from which the art originated. The Japanese tradition dates back over a thousand years, and has its own aesthetics and terminology. The purposes of bonsai are primarily contemplation (for the…
THE ANCIENT BANYAN TREE Photograph by JAMES BRANDON | Prints available Taken on Hawaii’s Big Island, this beautiful photograph of an ancient Banyan tree was sent to the Sifter by professional photographer James Brandon, who recalls: “This massive banyan tree is located at Rainbow Falls on the Big Island of Hawaii. I…
Root-Over-Rock Trident Maple Photograph by Peggy Greb, USDA Part of the penjing collection at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum, this trident maple, Acer buergerianum, has its roots growing over a rock and its foliage and stems trimmed in the shape of a dragon. Penjing, also known as penzai, tray landscape, potted…
Chris Guise is an artist and bonsai enthusiast from Maidenhead, England. A mechanical engineer by trade, Chris has a beautiful collection of Bonsai trees that he has cultivated on his Flickr page. In the Bonsai below, entitled Bag End Bonsai Trayscape, Chris created the home of Bilbo Baggins, Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee; where…
In the city of Shijiazhuang, China, an artist has brought smiles to pedestrians by painting drab tree holes and turning them into works of art. Since February, over eleven tree trunks on Jiuzhong Street have become the canvas for aspiring 23 year-old art student, Wang Yue. Each piece takes Wang about two hours to…
WINTER TREE Photograph by Kim Schou on 500px In this beautiful capture by Kim Schou, we see a leafless tree in Vesterborg, Denmark, withstanding the cold of winter in Scandinavia. Like animals that hibernate, trees go through a similar process called dormancy. During dormancy, things like metabolism, energy consumption and growth all…