Trees grow tall and mighty, and they don’t care what stands in their way. Neither signs, sculptures, nor other things that we attach to them can match their strength.

We at Bored Panda put together a list of pictures that show “hungry” trees devouring everyday objects just because they can.

So continue scrolling to remind yourself that nature is a force to be reckoned with. And if, for whatever reason, you need more proof after you’re done, fire up our earlier publication about the times Mother Earth made people go “well, that sucks.”

#1 Trees Can’t Read

Image credits: Iinventedhamburgers

#2 This Tree Grew Around A Stone Sculpture Of A Face, Making It Appear As If There Is A Green Man Trapped Inside

Image credits: Perfectony

But as much as we admire them, trees are in a lot of trouble. A recent first-of-its-kind study assessing every kind of tree native to the United States found that 11% to 16% of them are threatened with extinction.

The research was carried out across the lower 48 United States over the past five years. It was a collaboration of multiple different organizations throughout the country and even a few global contributors. The result provided a better understanding of the current condition of the local plants and a starting point to work on to protect them.

#3 How?

Image credits: Ri-RiY

#4 This Sculpture Of Jesus At Abandoned Cemetery In Poland Gets Slowly Absorbed By A Tree

Image credits: DonPecz

#5 Tree Grew Around This Sign, Only Leaving The Word “Help” Visible

Image credits: HysminaiUchiha

“We can’t protect what we don’t know about,” said Susan Pell, Executive Director of the United States Botanic Garden. “And so we really have to have a baseline of understanding of what things are at risk.”

The scientists looked at the extinction risk, patterns of geographic and taxonomic diversity, and leading threats facing the species. The most common threat turned out to be invasive and problematic pests and diseases.

#6 After 10 Months This Tree Has Almost Swallowed A Key

Image credits: HenroKappa

#7 Arms In The Air And Smiling

Image credits: idle_isomorph

#8 Old John Deere Parked For The Last Time

Image credits: PvtJepperson

#9 This Tree Devouring The Buddha Statue

Image credits: tannhauser85

“As we have warmer climates, in our northern parts of our country, we see some of these invasive insects being able to go further north to attack more trees,” Pell explained.

For instance, take the Emerald Ash Borer first found in Michigan.

“The early projections when it was first discovered were that it wouldn’t make it to Canada. And now with climate change, projections are going to become more widespread in Canada and certainly in the United States,” Pell said.

#10 During An Engagement Shoot, We Came Across This Truck In A Tree

Image credits: folly136

#11 Nom Nom Nom

Image credits: jurassicdad914

#12 This Forgotten Bike That Grew Into A Tree

Image credits: Flowerino

#13 The ‘Hungry Tree’, Slowing Devouring A Park Bench In Dublin, Ireland

Image credits: thefabulousweirdtrotters

Additional climate change threats include worsening drought conditions in parts of the country, widespread wildfires, and more intense storms with heavy rain. Other stressors for trees come from development and agriculture.

“What we’ve identified are the species that are most at risk,” Pell said. “And we’re also looking at some habitats that are most impressive on some of these areas and coastal environments, for example, that are under threat for development, and thinking about ways that we can conserve plants, both from a land perspective but also looking at what can we do for individual species that are really at risk.”

#14 Sharing Is Caring

Image credits: Grissa

#15 This Tree Grew Around A Fire Hydrant

Image credits: schweke

#16 I Am A Mailman, I Deliver To This Box Every Day

Image credits: dem930

#17 This Tree Swallowing A Trespassing Sign

Image credits: daito-

One thing they can do is protect their habitat. Specialists are also working to put at-risk trees in living collections — places like botanic gardens and arboretums.

Through the study, researchers found that there are currently 17 species of trees not found in living collections that need a new home.

#18 Tree Astride A Wall

Image credits: VerGuy

#19 The Way This Tree Is Stripping The Paint Off This Sign Only To Cover Itself In Paint

Image credits: toka_smoka

#20 Found A Trail With A Bunch Of These

Image credits: qxrhg

#21 Trees Sucking On A Swing In New Jersey

Image credits: pygmymarmoset981

One of them is the Franklin Tree, also known as the Franklinia, which is native to the state of Georgia.

It was collected in the 1800s and never seen in the wild again. Now, however, it’s found in over 100 living collections. An encouraging success story when you consider what is at risk if we lose threatened trees.

#22 I Don’t Know Why They Had To Replace A Perfectly Good Sign

Image credits: Dr-Alchemist

#23 A Tree In Front Of My Parent’s House Grew Around An Old Hand Grenade

Image credits: orzof

#24 Trees Get Hangry Too

Image credits: FeelsTremendousMan

#25 Massive Strangler Fig

Image credits: JoeSchmogan1

“Our livelihood is the environment,” Pell said. “Trees are one of the most important organisms when it comes to the health of our natural environments here in the United States.”

As we can see from the pictures, they really want to live. All we need to do is to help them more than we threaten them.

#26 This Tree That Has Absorbed It’s Bench Over The Years

Image credits: MaxHermanos

#27 A Victorian-Era Post Box Being Slowly Swallowed By A Tree

Image credits: Fearless_Application

#28 This Magic 8 Ball Has Been Here For A Magical 8 Years

Image credits: Megwen

#29 My Basketball Hoop From The 90s

Image credits: olivermbs

#30 Was Told This Belongs Here. An Oak Tree Growing Around An Electrical Box

Image credits: CaptKamClique

#31 Saw This On My Lunch Break Yesterday

Image credits: banelover0812

#32 I Lost These Glasses 10 Years Ago. Apparently, This Young Hackberry Has Taken Over Them

Image credits: No1YouKnow42

#33 This Tree Grew Over A Grave Stone And Took The Cross With It

Image credits: Arco_Sonata

#34 Motorcycle In Pine. Laconia, NH

Image credits: angela4design

#35 You Would Squint Too, If You Had To Gobble Up A Traffic Sign

Image credits: phaelox

#36 Found At The Abandoned Detroit Packard Plant, A Tree Consuming A Fire Hydrant

Image credits: Freaktography

#37 It Knows No Limits. Tree Consumes Metal Sign On The Hiking Trail

Image credits: AMD_PoolShark28

#38 Tree Grew Into This Rock And Made A Natural Pickaxe

Image credits: odus_99

#39 Sycamore Tree In France Looks A Bit Menacing After Devouring This No Parking Sign

Image credits: NTigellinus

#40 Tree Sucking On The Silhouette Of A Hiker

Image credits: Rishodi

Source: boredpanda.com