Stilt roots

Tree species with shallow roots, such as the conifers and birches, will often germinate on an old tree stump.  When the new tree starts to grow, the roots will try to get around the stump to find soil.  These interesting trees have what are called stilt roots.  The first pictured here is a conifer, while a stilt rooted paper birch can be seen in the second photograph.  

Here are some bonus photos from today's walk.  A big red oak greets you in the first picture, while the joy of yellow and paper birch are obvious in the second and third.