Crooked Trees In Poland Remains A Mystery Unsolved

There's a forest in Poland with a grove of crooked trees all bent just above the ground, all pointing north. Some try to explain it off as a genetic mutation or manipulated by man while others couldn't help but think of aliens.

Known as the Crooked Forest, these twisted pine trees can be found just outside Nowe Czarnowo in West Pomerania, Poland. About 400 of these pine trees bend 90 degrees to the north just before it hits the soil and then proceeds to shoot straight up. They stand tall at around 50 feet high at its peak and are dated to have been planted around 1930.

Plant scientist William Remphrey of the University of Manitoba acknowledged that finding an explanation for the mysterious crookedness of the trees remains elusive even until now. Dr. Remphrey told The New York Times in an email that he'd venture on caution when it comes to explaining off the crooked trees as man-made. He warned that even when presented with a scientific basis just as he did with the crooked aspen, "many people did not want to believe it and held onto to their far-out theories."

Just like Poland's crooked trees, the grove of crooked aspen near Hafford, Saskatchewan is considered a "botanical mystery" and as such, a "natural treasure." Dr. Remphrey, however, discovered proof for a genetic mutation that resulted in the unusual stem form. He also cited studies of the crooked aspen's architectural basis that led to the mutation.

The scientist couldn't say the same for Poland's crooked trees. Unlike the ones in Canada, the crooked trees in Poland revealed smooth bases. The rest of the surrounding pines also stood upright despite the same location. Another theory pointed to how some farmers in the 1930s deliberately bent the trees or sculpted them.

Such trees and practices, however, prove unlikely in Europe and in a forest. This then leads the rest to think of the extraterrestrial. When something is foreign and can't be explained, it's easier to blame it on the aliens.