Kåge tree is Västerbotten's quirkiest

After a competition on social media, it's clear: the most eccentric tree of the year in Västerbotten is in Kåge.

The tree outside the health center in Kåge has been declared the quirkiest in Västerbotten. It is the Skogssällskapet Foundation that has, for the third year in a row, announced the competition on social media.

Foto: Google

Kåge2023-10-17 12:30

Tinika Häggström

Paul Connolly

For the third year in a row, the Forest Society (Skogssällskapet) has launched a competition on social media to find Sweden's quirkiest tree. According to the foundation, this should serve as a reminder of the experiential and natural values of the forest.

This year's winner in Västerbotten is a birch outside the health center in Kåge with a huge knot, photographed by Angelika Andersson.

"The growth on the tree's trunk attracts attention," said the photographer.

Foto: Angelika Andersson

– The tree has a funny-shaped knot that the photographer thought looked like a bear, and I'm sure many people have done double takes when they passed it, says Karin Fällman Lillqvist, sustainability manager at Skogssällskapet, in a press release.

Last year's quirkiest tree in Västerbotten, a pine tree outside Umeå.

Foto: Jenny Forsberg

Is this Västerbotten's quirkiest tree, or do you know of something even stranger? Get in touch at tips@norran.se

How trees get knotted

1. Gnarled trees are often found near pastures. They may have been grazed by animals when they were young, causing the tree to sprout several new top shoots and eventually grow several trunks.

2. The tree may grow into or over metal objects, such as barbed wire or horseshoes, creating strange formations.

3. The tree may have genetic defects that cause it to grow along the ground instead of growing upwards.

Source: Skogssällskapet

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