Bizarre-looking tree grows limbs that resemble fence rails in Alabama. Here’s how

A surreal looking tree that grew to resemble a railed fence in Alabama is fueling social media debate over how such a thing could happen naturally.

The tree is part of the heavily-forested 19,624-acre Barbour Wildlife Management Area in southeastern Alabama, according to the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division.

It was recently discovered as a state forester was doing an inventory at the site. Photos show it sprouted multiple limbs that grew horizontally for six or more feet.

State foresters have a theory as to the cause and it’s plausible, if not a little far fetched.

“This is a lower trunk section of a poplar tree that at some point in the past either fell or was knocked down and stayed down long enough to produce these five large coppice shoots,” the division wrote Feb 24 on Facebook.

“They grew vertically for years until some interesting wind or other event occurred that pushed the shoots at just the right angle to stand the main trunk back up! The result is a rarely-seen tree orientation.”

The result “doubles as a terrific natural ground blind” for hunters, the state added.

Commenters on social media have called the arrangement of branches both “incredible” and oddly intentional ... as if someone had a hand in making it happen.

“That looks made,” Richard Long wrote on Facebook.

“I’ve trimmed trees over 40 years, seen a lot of cool things. Never have I seen one that got stood back up like that,” Curtis Williams posted

“Mother Nature is a fantastic artist,” Jimmy Priest said.

This story was originally published February 25, 2022 at 9:33 AM with the headline "Bizarre-looking tree grows limbs that resemble fence rails in Alabama. Here’s how."