Hungry Tree, Remarkable tree at King's Inns, Dublin, Ireland
Hungry Tree is a plane tree on the grounds of King's Inns in Dublin. The trunk measures roughly three meters around and reaches a height of about 21 meters, with the wood growing around a cast iron bench.
The grounds belong to King's Inns, a legal academy founded in 1541 under Henry VIII. The bench dates from the 1800s, when cast iron furniture was common in public gardens.
Locals know the tree for its shape, which slowly wraps around an old park bench from the 1800s and grows it into the bark. The name refers to how the trunk swallows the metal, as if eating it.
Access is through the gate on Constitution Hill, which opens in the morning and closes by early evening. Visitors can photograph from outside without entering the grounds when the gate is closed.
The Tree Council of Ireland awarded this plane tree the status of Heritage Tree, which underlines its importance to local heritage. Such recognition is given only to trees that hold special value for the community.
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