Sunday, July 19, 2009

Monochrome Monday July 19....2009

"Strangler Fig" taken at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary & Blair Audubon Center, Naples, Florida
The roots of the strangler fig are often thought to be vines growing on a host tree. Strangler figs can grow like a normal tree from the ground up; they also may start hight up in another tree and send roots down to the groung. As the roots grow, they wrap around the host tree, sometimes killing it. At Corkscrew, frost limits strangler fig growth and they do not kill their host trees. The fig fruit is a favorite of pileated woodpeckers.

(This information is from the brochure purchased at the Sanctuary)

8 comments:

Anne said...

SOOoo strange!! Like a big spider had cm visiting .-)) or spider hugs maybe :-))

Nice week to you from Anne in Norway.

Martha said...

I've seen trees like this before but never knew the details. Cool :-)

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Oh My----interesting tree, and a great picture to use in monochrome. One of our Pileated Woodpeckers came to the suet feeder right outside of my computer room window today.... Shocked me since they don't usually do that. Of course I did not get a picture.

Hugs,
Betsy

Robin said...

It's alive, and it's coming to get you!

Anonymous said...

Interesting - thanks. Nice picture too.

airplane5312 said...

Now that's interesting. Reminds me of Alien.

Daryl said...

That interesting .. hugging is not always good, huh

Maya said...

The name "strangler fig" gives me a bit of the creeps.