DWARF BEECH IS THE NAME I BEAR
Some call me the cripple beech. A cripple? Me? No, in truth, my “disability” is a great gift! I admit that I do grow differently from the all-so-common beech. Those who deny my grandeur simply do not understand. My oddness is of great advantage. My family and I grow up together. We intermingle our limbs to construct a perfectly rounded dome. In unison, we form a communal roof. This crafted design looks much like the low-hanging thatched roofs of the old farmhouses here in the northern lands. Below this canopy, we have rooms that are playful, curvy, and bent. Our windows are freeform and colorful, as in many a human church. Yet, our cathedral is naturally built and grows over time.
In our orchestra, each player is encouraged to express himself. Improvisation is key to our performance. With imagination, we do the unexpected. Nothing is straight. All is crooked.
Children love our little “witches’ forest,” adults too. Some people playfully try to imitate us and thus become acrobats themselves. For crawling insects, we are an endless labyrinth. Once started on a certain path, seldom will they find the same route back. Some people think that matters are not right with us. But they are wrong. Instead of going right, we just go left. Instead of going straight, we just go curving around.
But who knows… in our lifeblood may well flow drops of a witches’ brew: a magical potion that has made us appear peculiar and unusual. In the end, we are just like the others, only a little different.
Home:
Germany, Mecklenburg Western Pomerania, Rügen, Semper Forest Park
Tree species:
Fagus sylvatica variety suentelensis
Tree family:
Fagaceae, beech
Common Names:
Süntelbuche (German), cripple beech, dwarf beech, parasol beech
Motivation:
A hidden forest lies on the island of Rügen in northern Germany. The original park belonged to an old manor house. Left to its own for decades, the forest continues to grow as it pleases. The original planted cluster of dwarf beeches has now grown together, creating a large domed roof. From the outside, this site looks like a mysterious green temple. Once inside, you will be greeted by tree trunks in gray, oddly formed and swaying like a bunch of giggling old witches.