A few years ago we went to a place called The Crooked Bush in Saskatchewan, Canada. I could not get a clear picture the whole time we were there but it was like being in a Tim Burton film!!
The tree branches seemed to be crooked, twisted and bent and scientists do not seem to know why!
Scientists believe that the tree growth is a result of a genetic mutation, but they are unsure what caused the mutation. What is truly fascinating is the fact that the trees are growing at a normal rate. Their branches are just growing in every direction other than straight up.
The grove can be seen in the Disney true life adventure-fantasy film Perri in 1957. This area is considered as a natural treasure, so be in limits and don’t climb the trees, break branches, litter, or leave the boardwalk. This will support and ensure that the area remains intact for years to come. The average height of crooked trees is 15 to 20 ft and 75 years old.
There is also a local legend and that attributes the strange shaping to everything from a UFO landing, a meteorite hitting in this area to a lightning strike that affected the area’s soil.
The legends also claims that people who enter the area experience dizziness and that, despite the lack of a fence, cattle will not travel through the trees. The peculiarity of the trees, which were first identified in the 1940s by local residents, is further increased by the fact that the trees grow less than 10 m away from other aspens that do not feature this mutation
On my visit, I got an uneasy feeling and we left but someone had picked up a stick from the center and while driving home we ended up going off the highway into the Median strip and getting stuck so we actually decided to returned it… it’s quite an mystical and amazing place that’s for sure !
Cait Oaks