Look at those trees. I was staring at them today and I honestly can't tell what their deal is. They might even be just one tree, that at some point fell down, and then decided, eh this works too, and just kept growing. Because what tree would intentionally grow like this? But then the one in the background is just the same, half-horizontal, half-tree.
I feel like it might be related to the area they're growing on; this place gets heavily flooded, and it's all mud and clay, so I assume the roots and trunks got unstabilized due to waterflow, then figured out a way to keep still when the flood comes – by simply having the tree lie down.
Look at that trunk flare tho! All the tips of roots are visible above the soil, they look so cool, and this is actually a great thing. All trees should have the root flare visible, because this part of the tree is supposed to be above the soil level, and it needs exposure to oxygen, it could easily rot if trapped underground. When you see a tree that just starts vertically with no roots visible, that is a tree that will get sick if not helped.
I can't tell how these will do but I love them very much, they are coping, and other people love them too. Those pieces of wood you see in the front—that's a table, the flood water took away the top plank. People like to come and have a picnic there! Here's a bonus pic of how this place looks in the summer.
