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All the United States Oregon Tillamook Octopus Tree of Oregon
AO Edited

Octopus Tree of Oregon

No one knows how this Pacific Northwest spruce tree came to have so many trunks.

Tillamook, Oregon

Added By
Eric Grundhauser
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Octopus Tree of Oregon   Alicia Mueller on Flickr
Octopus Tree of Oregon   Alicia Mueller on Flickr
Octopus Tree of Oregon   Alicia Mueller on Flickr
Octopus Tree of Oregon   dolanh on Flickr
  RoadUnraveled / Atlas Obscura User
Taken February 2024   DarkFireJacob / Atlas Obscura User
  wrreeves2 / Atlas Obscura User
Vintage postcard of tree (from personal collection)   Nate Pedersen / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Located at the Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint, the oddly-shaped, and even more oddly-named Octopus Tree of Oregon is a massive oddity, in the area, but such trees are more common to the coastal and mountain forests of the Pacific Northwest than most people realize.

The Octopus Tree (also known as the Council Tree, the Monstrosity Tree, and the Candelabra Tree) is believed to be around 250 to 300 years old. The tree itself extends from a central base that is nearly 50 feet around, and instead of shooting straight up with a central trunk, the body of the tree splits into a number of smaller trunks. The bizarre arbor has long been an attraction.  

Some believe that the huge Sitka spruce was simply shaped by natural conditions such as extreme weather. However, it was Native Americans in the area who trained the tree into its cage-like assortment of thick vertical trunks. Such trees are common in the Pacific Northwest, and are known as culturally modified trees. Native Americans created the tree to hold canoes with corpses, in a practice known as "tree burial." Culturally modified trees were also made to mark important places.

The tree is protected as a popular attraction by a short fence and its importance is explained by an informational sign. There are no octopi at the site, but hopefully this weird tree is interesting enough that that won't be much of a disappointment. 

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Added By

EricGrundhauser

Edited By

beeswaxwreck, joke3, Nate Pedersen, RoadUnraveled...

  • beeswaxwreck
  • joke3
  • Nate Pedersen
  • RoadUnraveled
  • wrreeves2
  • DarkFireJacob
  • Magsncheeeese

Published

March 25, 2015

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  • fty8u90yt7rdseastdy89uytirdtfguiho
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  • http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/10/the-octopus-tree-of-oregon.html
  • http://www.capemeareslighthouse.org/html/octopus_tree.html
Octopus Tree of Oregon
Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint
Tillamook, Oregon, 97141
United States
45.4863, -123.978
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

Tillamook Creamery

Tillamook, Oregon

miles away

2nd Street Coffee House

Tillamook, Oregon

miles away

Twin Rocks

Rockaway Beach, Oregon

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tillamook

Tillamook

Oregon

Places 4

Nearby Places

Tillamook Creamery

Tillamook, Oregon

miles away

2nd Street Coffee House

Tillamook, Oregon

miles away

Twin Rocks

Rockaway Beach, Oregon

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tillamook

Tillamook

Oregon

Places 4

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