Tree carvings, also known as arborglyphs.

Deadwood is about an very unusual beech tree with a curse written in tree carvings, or arborglyphs. In reality, beeches covered with arborglyphs are not unusual — vandals can’t resist marking the gorgeous smooth, silvery bark. Most trees are untroubled by the defacement, but the carvings can be the entry point for beech bark disease.

Researching trees and arborglyphs made me more fully appreciate the beauty and biology of trees in general and the ecology of urban environments in particular. To learn more about protecting and promoting trees, visit my tree blog, Tree and Twig. You’ll find many more photos and information.

Resources for Trees and Tree Carvings

What’s an arborglyph? – More about “tree writing” – the tree carvings that figure prominently in Deadwood.

Arborglyph photos – My collection of tree carvings, mostly found in the urban parks around Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore. As excited as I am to find an interesting one, I’m more excited when I find a beech tree unmarked, in its natural state.

Champion trees – Living giants, the biggest tree of their kind in each state.

Trees that look like people –  I see tree people everywhere. Results may vary.

Tree and Forestry Resources – Educational links and organizations about protecting, planting, and appreciating trees, forests, and parks.

Parks and Conservation – A collection of resources about parks and environmental education.

My daughter with the Pennsylvania Champion Engler’s Beech at the Morris Arboretum.