I first read about tree shaping in a Readers Digest magazine in the 1990s. It featured a man who would shapes trees into chairs and other sculptures. Even since then I wanted to do it. I got started on a white cherry tree that started growing in my yard. Once it got large enough, I would braid and weave the branches every spring.
I didn't do anything as complicated as a chair. I would try to create loops by braiding two distant branches into each other and fastening with wire. Or I would take a long branch, and bend it back to the trunk, and braid it into a branch heading in the opposite direction.
The most difficult thing was not accidentally breaking the branches while braiding. Sometimes strong winds would create too much tension on the already stressed branches and cause them to break.
I did that for about 5 years before I sold that house. The tree is still there last time I checked, but I haven't gotten a close look at how it has progressed.
At my new house, I've tried it with a red maple, but haven't had much success. The branches that I've shaped end up dying.
Sharing this story makes me want to take up the hobby again. I've got some fast growing trees at my current house that I could use.
I have dozens of volunteer red maple trees about shoulder to head height in my yard. I have been trying to find information about training them at this size. Do bonsai methods for Japanese maples work? Can two red maples be joined together to make an arch? I need to learn more about plants
That's really cool and I wish you success on future braiding attempts. If you keep trying at it I'm sure you'll find or pioneer some ways to avoid damage.
This field is called Tree Shaping[1] and while it has been tried throughout history, I think there's still a lot of cool stuff that has never been tried.
One of my favourite examples is bonchi, or bonsai chili. It's exactly what the name implies. Unfortunately I've struggled to keep a regular pepper plant alive, let alone bonsai it:
Couple of Australians have been doing this since the 90's - I think they coined the term 'pooktre' to describe the form - https://www.pooktre.com/
Searching `Peter Cook Becky Northey tree furniture` gets you some nice pictures of their work, as they don't just 'do chair' -- though I suspect plenty of people have been doing this in various forms for centuries.
I don't have a picture at hand, but on frequently used rock climbing spots, the young trees at the bottom, where the partner with the rope stands, can be very chairlike, too.
I once asked myself why are they so conveniently formed, while leaning against one, but then I got it.
I had to re-read your comment, even thought it was a joke I didn't get! So for others who are as tired as me: the people holding the rope kept leaning against the tree for support, but not too much, as long as it existed, so that's how the tree got shaped into a chair.
Weaving saplings and coppice sprouts and growing them in place is incredibly ancient, maybe neolithic. Julius Caesar was freaked out by the living woven defenses of the Nervi in Gaul. In general the deeper you go into the past the more people were aware of the possibilities of sprouting wood, coppicing, etc.
It's not the hedge that is actually woven, it's the binders at the top. Made of hazel, their purpose is to hold the stakes solid whilst the living hedge recovers after being pleach cut and laid over.
It's a very enjoyable craft. Last year I planted up about 600 metres of new hedge that should be ready for me to lay in about ten years.
They are really cool. I went to see these trees as a teenager when they were in Scotts Valley. From the images, they have grown a bit in the decades since...
I've seen this couple discussed on HN before, although my searching abilities are failing me, I just found https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21051965 which is the same couple, but with 3 points and 1 comment, isn't likely to be the discussion I remember.
When I type in "Chair grow" I get nada, but "Chairs grow" provides a bunch of results. You'd think Chair and Chairs would be very close together in a search engine.
There will rise a PETA like organization that will protest this. Probably call themselves the Lorax and protest that we're practicing colonialism on plants now.
All satire aside... this is pretty cool. And so are groups that look out for the little guy.
From the article: "The couple, who work with a range of trees including willow, oak and ash, said there were currently "a few dozen" growing pieces in their orchard, including stools, benches and "the odd chandelier" in progress."
Your comment made me think of those helix-shaped bamboos from IKEA. While this is of course on a whole different level, it does suggest some kind of shaping is possible for bamboo as well. And it wouldn't take decades...
I've been thinking since the 1970s that we'd decrease the 2nd biggest use of petroleum, plastic, using genetic engineering.
Many biological substances could replace plastic, such as chitin and cellulose.
But "lab grown meat", like "full self driving" and "artificial intelligence", is a name that's a giant leap of faith beyond the actual technology.
Lab grown meat is still only the flesh protean cells grown in a mold to look like a fish fillet. None of the structural components of the real thing are reproduced.
To use this tech as a structural plastic replacement, we'll have to reach the point of controlling the shape of the material as the cells proliferate.
Of course, before that, we'll have to overthrow the petro mafia's control of the US.
Imagine an alien species comes here and sees all this totally fucked up human centric thinking. They put fish in small fish bowls, for their own enjoyment. They deform trees for their own enjoyment... and the list goes on. Bleh.
I assure you, any species capable of interstellar travel will have a capacity and willingness to bend their environment to their will that absolutely dwarfs our own.
Why do you think they would be so bothered by what humans do, when the same kind of thing is done across the animal world? Read about ants milking aphids, for instance.
The topic here is a mutual thing, too. You can see that people sculpting trees are keeping the tree alive when it might otherwise be cut down. Possibly taking pains to ensure it gets enough water, too. After all, the sculpting process relies on the tree continuing to grow.
I first read about tree shaping in a Readers Digest magazine in the 1990s. It featured a man who would shapes trees into chairs and other sculptures. Even since then I wanted to do it. I got started on a white cherry tree that started growing in my yard. Once it got large enough, I would braid and weave the branches every spring.
I didn't do anything as complicated as a chair. I would try to create loops by braiding two distant branches into each other and fastening with wire. Or I would take a long branch, and bend it back to the trunk, and braid it into a branch heading in the opposite direction.
The most difficult thing was not accidentally breaking the branches while braiding. Sometimes strong winds would create too much tension on the already stressed branches and cause them to break.
I did that for about 5 years before I sold that house. The tree is still there last time I checked, but I haven't gotten a close look at how it has progressed.
At my new house, I've tried it with a red maple, but haven't had much success. The branches that I've shaped end up dying.
Sharing this story makes me want to take up the hobby again. I've got some fast growing trees at my current house that I could use.
Edit: here is a photo of my tree (if you can abide imgur) https://imgur.com/a/PjwqWzo
I have dozens of volunteer red maple trees about shoulder to head height in my yard. I have been trying to find information about training them at this size. Do bonsai methods for Japanese maples work? Can two red maples be joined together to make an arch? I need to learn more about plants
I believe Japanese maple are a popular bonsai plant. I've never seen one as an arch. I have seen Chrysanthemum bonsai made into a small arch.
That's really cool and I wish you success on future braiding attempts. If you keep trying at it I'm sure you'll find or pioneer some ways to avoid damage.
This field is called Tree Shaping[1] and while it has been tried throughout history, I think there's still a lot of cool stuff that has never been tried.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_shaping
The living bridges were new to me. I like the concept, would probably also work in more cold areas, but with more effort.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_root_bridge
One of my favourite examples is bonchi, or bonsai chili. It's exactly what the name implies. Unfortunately I've struggled to keep a regular pepper plant alive, let alone bonsai it:
https://old.reddit.com/r/Bonchi/top/
Holy cow this is so cool <3
Couple of Australians have been doing this since the 90's - I think they coined the term 'pooktre' to describe the form - https://www.pooktre.com/
Searching `Peter Cook Becky Northey tree furniture` gets you some nice pictures of their work, as they don't just 'do chair' -- though I suspect plenty of people have been doing this in various forms for centuries.
Well that’s flabbergasting.
I don't have a picture at hand, but on frequently used rock climbing spots, the young trees at the bottom, where the partner with the rope stands, can be very chairlike, too. I once asked myself why are they so conveniently formed, while leaning against one, but then I got it.
I had to re-read your comment, even thought it was a joke I didn't get! So for others who are as tired as me: the people holding the rope kept leaning against the tree for support, but not too much, as long as it existed, so that's how the tree got shaped into a chair.
Weaving saplings and coppice sprouts and growing them in place is incredibly ancient, maybe neolithic. Julius Caesar was freaked out by the living woven defenses of the Nervi in Gaul. In general the deeper you go into the past the more people were aware of the possibilities of sprouting wood, coppicing, etc.
British hedgerows are (sometimes? often?) woven: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-english-hedgerow-21854933....
Wiki talks about Caesar in reference to hedges: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedgelaying
It's not the hedge that is actually woven, it's the binders at the top. Made of hazel, their purpose is to hold the stakes solid whilst the living hedge recovers after being pleach cut and laid over.
It's a very enjoyable craft. Last year I planted up about 600 metres of new hedge that should be ready for me to lay in about ten years.
In Northern California there’s a small amusement park that has several of these. Haven’t been, but it’s on my list. https://www.gilroygardens.org/circus-trees/
They are really cool. I went to see these trees as a teenager when they were in Scotts Valley. From the images, they have grown a bit in the decades since...
They are quite amazing to see.
I've seen this couple discussed on HN before, although my searching abilities are failing me, I just found https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21051965 which is the same couple, but with 3 points and 1 comment, isn't likely to be the discussion I remember.
There's also https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9344837 4 points 11 years ago, although the link is dead.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23956504
46 comments 2015
Thank you.
Would you like me to reveal my Angolia-fu?
Please do!
https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...
Interesting, thank you.
It's quite weird.
When I type in "Chair grow" I get nada, but "Chairs grow" provides a bunch of results. You'd think Chair and Chairs would be very close together in a search engine.
There will rise a PETA like organization that will protest this. Probably call themselves the Lorax and protest that we're practicing colonialism on plants now.
All satire aside... this is pretty cool. And so are groups that look out for the little guy.
PETPEEV — People for Ethical Treatment of Plants, Ecosystems, and Vegetation
An issue of WET magazine (from the 1980s) profiled a similar operation. Always beautiful to see.
Another comment posted them: https://www.gilroygardens.org/circus-trees/
IIRC the article said that the "circus trees" were almost cut down when the property changed hands.
It stunned me that someone could be so callous about something so unique and creative.
https://www.wetmagazine.com/#/wet-issue-33/
I'm sure he copied it from somewhere but this reminds me of Paolini's elves in Eragon singing (magicking) trees to their desired shape.
Your patience and creativity is incredible. I wish someone doesn't ruin it in the name of finding a modern fast pace solution
I love the idea, reminds me a lot of gardening and growing fruits in special containers.
I thought the title was some kind of metaphor. Quite surprised at being a literal thing.
This feels closer to structural design using living organisms rather than architecture.
Talk about patience...
What species of tree is good for this?
relatively durable
relatively fast growing and amenable to bending and grafting
willow?
anybody ID those trees?
From the article: "The couple, who work with a range of trees including willow, oak and ash, said there were currently "a few dozen" growing pieces in their orchard, including stools, benches and "the odd chandelier" in progress."
an oak chair would take forever
I wonder if this could be done with bamboo.
Can you graft bamboo? Maybe join it by weaving or twisting
Your comment made me think of those helix-shaped bamboos from IKEA. While this is of course on a whole different level, it does suggest some kind of shaping is possible for bamboo as well. And it wouldn't take decades...
"Lucky bamboo" is actually a lily.
Akshually, it's an asparagus - dracaena sanderiana (or, usually erroneously, - braunii).
Thanks for inspiring me to look it up! I'm gonna have so much fun at the next party :D
Probably rattan, not bamboo.
See my other comment - it's neither bamboo nor rattan, but a kind of asparagus.
Ah, I was thinking of the rattan chairs, some of which are woven into patterns although I don't see any helices.
Camphor Laurel (Camphora officinarum) in ideal conditions, and for a patient individual, can be observed to grow.
I don’t only if it’s suitable for this particular application, and it’s considered a noxious weed in Australia.
So elves in dwarf fortress.
Are they ergonomic?
They're agronomic
Seems cruel towards the trees, for human enjoyment
Isn't that cute.
I've been thinking since the 1970s that we'd decrease the 2nd biggest use of petroleum, plastic, using genetic engineering.
Many biological substances could replace plastic, such as chitin and cellulose.
But "lab grown meat", like "full self driving" and "artificial intelligence", is a name that's a giant leap of faith beyond the actual technology.
Lab grown meat is still only the flesh protean cells grown in a mold to look like a fish fillet. None of the structural components of the real thing are reproduced.
To use this tech as a structural plastic replacement, we'll have to reach the point of controlling the shape of the material as the cells proliferate.
Of course, before that, we'll have to overthrow the petro mafia's control of the US.
On the one hand this is pretty cool.
On the other hand ... those chairs look damn incomplete. Even the supposedly "finished" ones ...
I think these are very beautiful.
Imagine an alien species comes here and sees all this totally fucked up human centric thinking. They put fish in small fish bowls, for their own enjoyment. They deform trees for their own enjoyment... and the list goes on. Bleh.
I assure you, any species capable of interstellar travel will have a capacity and willingness to bend their environment to their will that absolutely dwarfs our own.
Capacity and willingness are orthogonal.
Assuring me, based on what experience? :D
Why do you think they would be so bothered by what humans do, when the same kind of thing is done across the animal world? Read about ants milking aphids, for instance.
That's a mutual thing since ants give them protection.
The topic here is a mutual thing, too. You can see that people sculpting trees are keeping the tree alive when it might otherwise be cut down. Possibly taking pains to ensure it gets enough water, too. After all, the sculpting process relies on the tree continuing to grow.
They wouldn't have grown the tree if they couldn't somehow control it. The control aspect brings forth the need to grow a tree.
Carpentry is dead
The trees are taking our jobs
GMO seeds from OpenTree