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See Also
See Again
© Shutterstock
0 / 25 Fotos
Visually stunning
- The crowns form a canopy with channel-like gaps similar to natural fractals.
© Shutterstock
1 / 25 Fotos
A mystery - Crown shyness was first documented in scientific literature in the 1920s, but since then researchers have still not been able to reach a consensus about what causes it.
© Shutterstock
2 / 25 Fotos
Competing theories - That's not to say that there aren't theories however. Just that none of them have been 100% proven without a shadow of a doubt.
© Shutterstock
3 / 25 Fotos
Striking appearance - The organization and synchronization makes crown shyness such an awe-inspiring phenomenon.
© Shutterstock
4 / 25 Fotos
Not all trees are shy - The effect usually occurs between trees of the same species, but it's also been observed between trees of different species.
© Shutterstock
5 / 25 Fotos
Adaptive behavior theories - Australian forester M.R. Jacobs wrote in his 1955 book 'Growth Habits of the Eucalypts' that the growing tips of the trees are sensitive to abrasion, which he believed resulted in the canopy gaps, or crown shyness.
© Shutterstock
6 / 25 Fotos
Adaptive behavior theories - In 1986, this theory was also supported by Dr Miguel Franco, who noticed that when the branches of Sitka spruce and Larix kaempferi trees suffered physical damage from abrasion, the leading branches died, stunting their growth.
© Shutterstock
7 / 25 Fotos
"Reciprocal pruning" - Many scientists supported the belief that physical contact between the branches, caused by strong winds, are what made the trees shrink away from each other.
© Shutterstock
8 / 25 Fotos
They can put themselves out there with some help - Some experiments have shown that if you stop trees which display crown shyness from swaying and colliding with each other, they actually grow into the gaps between them.
© Shutterstock
9 / 25 Fotos
There are many more theories - Other scientists have suggested that crown shyness is a way to stop leaf-eating insects from spreading.
© Shutterstock
10 / 25 Fotos
Targeted timidity - Many leaf-munching pests can work together and create small structures to get them from the branch of one tree to another, so gaps may be trees' natural defense mechanism.
© Shutterstock
11 / 25 Fotos
Contrary to the adaptive behavior theory - Malaysian scholar Francis S.P. Ng studied crown shyness in Dryobalanops aromatica trees in 1977, but found no traces of abrasion. That means it was something else causing their unique growth patterns.
© Shutterstock
12 / 25 Fotos
Shy and sensitive - Instead, Ng suggested that the trees' growing tips were sensitive to light levels and stopped growing when they got too close to other trees.
© Shutterstock
13 / 25 Fotos
Detecting red light - Science has backed this up as plants are proven to be able to sense how close they are to other plants by detecting far-red light frequency.
© Shutterstock
14 / 25 Fotos
Shying away from stimulus - Far-red light detection allows plants to compete with their neighbors over sunlight. When detected, many species of plants respond by directing growth away from the stimulus.
© Shutterstock
15 / 25 Fotos
Avoiding shade - In a similar fashion, blue light is used by plants to induce their shade-avoidance response, which also plays a role in staying away from their neighbors.
© Shutterstock
16 / 25 Fotos
Or it could be something else entirely - One nature guide explains that the leaves of the Borneo camphor tree, prone to crown shyness, release ethanol to stop other trees from growing too close.
© Shutterstock
17 / 25 Fotos
Allelopathy - In botany, allelopathy is any effect, positive or negative, that one plant transmits to another through different chemical compounds. It's essentially a way for plants to communicate with each other using chemical signals.
© Shutterstock
18 / 25 Fotos
What to make of all the theories? - Some conclude that the variety of hypotheses and experimental results suggest that there are multiple mechanisms working across different species to create the phenomenon, which is an example of convergent evolution.
© Shutterstock
19 / 25 Fotos
A breathtaking wonder - The mystery is almost satisfying because these images, which look like paintings, can only confirm the truly incomprehensible power of mother nature.
© Shutterstock
20 / 25 Fotos
Not just visually beneficial - Crown shyness allows more light (and consequently more efficient photosynthesis) into the forest, and it also helps trees avoids damage, prevent disease, and ward off pests.
© Shutterstock
21 / 25 Fotos
It looks almost like a map - Or like neuron pathways. Nature is all connected!
© Shutterstock
22 / 25 Fotos
Highly relatable - You know when you don’t want anyone to enter your personal bubble? These trees get it.
© Shutterstock
23 / 25 Fotos
Plants are way smarter than we think
- They’re highly sophisticated, collaborative, and they have feelings too.
© Shutterstock
24 / 25 Fotos
© Shutterstock
0 / 25 Fotos
Visually stunning
- The crowns form a canopy with channel-like gaps similar to natural fractals.
© Shutterstock
1 / 25 Fotos
A mystery - Crown shyness was first documented in scientific literature in the 1920s, but since then researchers have still not been able to reach a consensus about what causes it.
© Shutterstock
2 / 25 Fotos
Competing theories - That's not to say that there aren't theories however. Just that none of them have been 100% proven without a shadow of a doubt.
© Shutterstock
3 / 25 Fotos
Striking appearance - The organization and synchronization makes crown shyness such an awe-inspiring phenomenon.
© Shutterstock
4 / 25 Fotos
Not all trees are shy - The effect usually occurs between trees of the same species, but it's also been observed between trees of different species.
© Shutterstock
5 / 25 Fotos
Adaptive behavior theories - Australian forester M.R. Jacobs wrote in his 1955 book 'Growth Habits of the Eucalypts' that the growing tips of the trees are sensitive to abrasion, which he believed resulted in the canopy gaps, or crown shyness.
© Shutterstock
6 / 25 Fotos
Adaptive behavior theories - In 1986, this theory was also supported by Dr Miguel Franco, who noticed that when the branches of Sitka spruce and Larix kaempferi trees suffered physical damage from abrasion, the leading branches died, stunting their growth.
© Shutterstock
7 / 25 Fotos
"Reciprocal pruning" - Many scientists supported the belief that physical contact between the branches, caused by strong winds, are what made the trees shrink away from each other.
© Shutterstock
8 / 25 Fotos
They can put themselves out there with some help - Some experiments have shown that if you stop trees which display crown shyness from swaying and colliding with each other, they actually grow into the gaps between them.
© Shutterstock
9 / 25 Fotos
There are many more theories - Other scientists have suggested that crown shyness is a way to stop leaf-eating insects from spreading.
© Shutterstock
10 / 25 Fotos
Targeted timidity - Many leaf-munching pests can work together and create small structures to get them from the branch of one tree to another, so gaps may be trees' natural defense mechanism.
© Shutterstock
11 / 25 Fotos
Contrary to the adaptive behavior theory - Malaysian scholar Francis S.P. Ng studied crown shyness in Dryobalanops aromatica trees in 1977, but found no traces of abrasion. That means it was something else causing their unique growth patterns.
© Shutterstock
12 / 25 Fotos
Shy and sensitive - Instead, Ng suggested that the trees' growing tips were sensitive to light levels and stopped growing when they got too close to other trees.
© Shutterstock
13 / 25 Fotos
Detecting red light - Science has backed this up as plants are proven to be able to sense how close they are to other plants by detecting far-red light frequency.
© Shutterstock
14 / 25 Fotos
Shying away from stimulus - Far-red light detection allows plants to compete with their neighbors over sunlight. When detected, many species of plants respond by directing growth away from the stimulus.
© Shutterstock
15 / 25 Fotos
Avoiding shade - In a similar fashion, blue light is used by plants to induce their shade-avoidance response, which also plays a role in staying away from their neighbors.
© Shutterstock
16 / 25 Fotos
Or it could be something else entirely - One nature guide explains that the leaves of the Borneo camphor tree, prone to crown shyness, release ethanol to stop other trees from growing too close.
© Shutterstock
17 / 25 Fotos
Allelopathy - In botany, allelopathy is any effect, positive or negative, that one plant transmits to another through different chemical compounds. It's essentially a way for plants to communicate with each other using chemical signals.
© Shutterstock
18 / 25 Fotos
What to make of all the theories? - Some conclude that the variety of hypotheses and experimental results suggest that there are multiple mechanisms working across different species to create the phenomenon, which is an example of convergent evolution.
© Shutterstock
19 / 25 Fotos
A breathtaking wonder - The mystery is almost satisfying because these images, which look like paintings, can only confirm the truly incomprehensible power of mother nature.
© Shutterstock
20 / 25 Fotos
Not just visually beneficial - Crown shyness allows more light (and consequently more efficient photosynthesis) into the forest, and it also helps trees avoids damage, prevent disease, and ward off pests.
© Shutterstock
21 / 25 Fotos
It looks almost like a map - Or like neuron pathways. Nature is all connected!
© Shutterstock
22 / 25 Fotos
Highly relatable - You know when you don’t want anyone to enter your personal bubble? These trees get it.
© Shutterstock
23 / 25 Fotos
Plants are way smarter than we think
- They’re highly sophisticated, collaborative, and they have feelings too.
© Shutterstock
24 / 25 Fotos
Trees avoid touching? The stunning mystery of crown shyness
Scientists can't agree on why these trees are so timid
© Shutterstock
The next time you find yourself walking through a forest of tall trees, don't miss the opportunity to look up at the gorgeous canopy overhead. You might be surprised by what you find.
This mysterious, naturally occurring phenomenon in which the crowns (top leafy areas) of some tree species grow without touching each other is adorably named “crown shyness.” The trees are separated by a gap clearly visible from ground level because they want to avoid touching each other.
The exact physiological explanation of crown shyness has yet to be determined, but the beauty has captured scientists' attention for nearly 100 years. Check out this gallery to see stunning photos of one of nature's many marvels, and some theories about what caused their introversion.
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