BDAR

The Witch Spruce

55.103, 22.147
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The multi-stem common spruce grows in the Vilkyškės geomorphological reserve of Rambynas Regional Park, near Vilkyškės town (Šilutė Forest Enterprise, Rambynas Forest block 83 plot 53). It's a monument of nature. At an altitude of about 80 cm, the tree forked into 18 trunks. It has a trunk size at the fork of about 5.8 m, a height of 34 m and is thought to be between 160 and 180 years old. It's called a witch tree because of its unusual shape. The trunks are up, intertwined with each other, some even growing into each other like wrapped witch hair. The spruce is shrouded in legends. After the snowfall that devastated the nature of the country on 10 November 2007, one trunk broke. It is probably the only common spruce of such an impressive, unusual shape not only in Lithuania but also in Europe or in the entire range of self-prevalence of these trees. In 2018, researchers from Alexander Stulginski University conducted a study on the genetic origin of the Witch Fruit. The hypothesis that the tree's polygamity is a gardening stunt has been rejected. The probable cause of the multi-polygamity of the Witch Fruit is a unique genotype. As a unique individual of the species, this tree is not only an object of national but also of international significance. The tree is equipped with a convenient access path, a viewing area, and a fenced tree, protecting it from unwanted root trampling.