Today's inconsequential query - why does fruit wood twist ?

[OldWood]

I collected some pieces of an almond tree earlier this summer, ever hopeful I might be able to use them - unfortunately the feller had cut them for logs and my wombling is entering the house warming operation rather than decorating.

It struck me as curious that all fruit woods twist to one degree or another - this almond wood for instance had gone through 90 degrees in 200mm (8" for the metrically challenged !).

Is this biomechanical so that the tree can support the fruit load (in which case my plum tree is not a good example a it split badly this year with the weight of fruit on it), or is it just a quirk of nature ?

Rob

 

[TheTiddles]

Yes, all fruit trees spiral, the interesting thing is that south of the equator they twist the other way.

Aidan

 

[nev]

Yes, all fruit trees spiral, the interesting thing is that south of the equator they twist the other way.

Aidan

so by that reasoning the ones growing on the equator must be untwisted :shock: and do the twists get tighter the closer to the poles you get :?: :mrgreen:

 

[Jonzjob]

I have 3 or 4 lumps of cherry about 4' long and as straight as a die. Perhapse it's just a French thingy?

 

[sue denim]

sweet chestnut is the one for twists....you can see it in the bark

 

[OldWood]

I have 3 or 4 lumps of cherry about 4' long and as straight as a die. Perhapse it's just a French thingy?

Perhaps Cherry isn't so prone to it as I have some UK cherry which is pretty straight, and after all American cherry is essentially true. Having said that I have some very old UK cherry that is as hard as nails, has lovely grain and is twisted, but because the centre of the tree had rotted out, it dried OK naturally.

Rob

 

[OldWood]

Yes, all fruit trees spiral, the interesting thing is that south of the equator they twist the other way.

Aidan

Being a cynic I'm prepared to ask the question on whether that is urban myth ? I'm now going to go around looking at any twisted tree in the UK to see if they do all twist the same way !!
Rob