Oh Shimpaku Shimpaku what shall we do?

[just.wing.it]

I guess I will have to provide the simple truth. If you take the branch of a Procumbens Juniper in your hands you will notice that it seem very flexible and limber but when you try to bend the branch it is likely to break. Shimpaku on the other hand seems to have branches that are very stiff and seem to be brittle but can be bent and twisted in some pretty extreme positions without breaking or cracking. That was the point I was trying to get at. Why is it that a tree that seems so angular, stiff and immobile when young can, with maturity, seem to be kissing it's own butt?

Just guessing here, I think it has something to do with the moisture content of the wood....?
Or the wood's physical attributes itself....?

 

[GrimLore]

Why is it that a tree that seems so angular, stiff and immobile when young can, with maturity, seem to be kissing it's own butt?

Shear weight if left to grow wild as they are far more dense left alone...

Grimmy

 

[Vance Wood]

The reason is simple: Shimpakus are more flexible than you can imagine, even when you hold the wood in your hands. If you can bend it without dislocating your own shoulder it will bend and not break.