The Valley of Square Trees

Inside the flat wide caldera of the dormant volcano of El Valle, in Panama, is a town that goes by the same name. Here, in the foothills of Cerro Gaital behind Hotel Campestre, are a group of trees that have grown with square trunks. Even the tree rings are square. The trunk is square at the base but then becomes round as it moves upward, taking on the look of a normal tree. How rectilinear the tree trunks are depends on who you ask. Popular websites report that the trees have “hard right angles”, but reviewers on Trip Advisor don’t think so. Photo credit: Asturias76/Tripadvisor.com 2703cindy wrote on Trip Advisor. The square trees are not so square as you might expect. This view is shared by many. One woman from Langley, Canada wrote: The square trees were very underwhelming, but the walk through the jungle was beautiful. Another visitor from Honolulu wrote: The square trees are mostly in ones imagination as they become round as they grow taller. Luckily there was a sign on one of the two we saw as I wouldn't have known it otherwise. But others attest to the site’s attraction. According to one Canadian visitor, They are actually square, with the biggest trees exceeding 60 feet Another reviewer from Oregon wrote: I had been here about 60 years ago, and there were more square trees, but it was still a good visit. We saw some young tress along the trail, and quite a few about 2/3s of the way with signs. They have rounded corners, but after all they are trees. One was absolutely spectacular, with all four sides about the same size (about 12 inches). What causes the tree trunks to take the shape of a square? Some articles would have you believe that there is something mysterious going on in The Valley of Square Trees. One website reports that the University of Florida conducted research on the trees and attempted to grow them outside of the “valley” to see whether they retain their square shapes.