Plants don’t really do locomotion. True, some seeds can travel long distances on the wind or in the stomachs of animals, and tumbleweeds scatter theirs by uprooting and rolling around in the background whenever a joke falls flat. But as a rule, plants aren’t going anywhere.
Meet the walking tree
Still, there is one enduring story out there about a ‘walking tree’. It concerns a tropical American palm named Socratea exorrhiza, whose trunk is raised off the ground on a cluster of stilt-like roots. It is said to be able to haul itself out of the shade and into sunnier spots by growing more roots on one side and losing them on the other.
In 2015, the BBC quoted a Russian biologist working in Ecuador who claimed to have seen the Socratea exorrhiza, move up to 20m in two years. Evidence, though, hasn’t been forthcoming.
What has been shown is that the roots provide a wide, stable base for the tree, enabling it to grow tall without having to increase its girth. This gives the young palms an advantage in the race towards gaps in the canopy. In which case, the trees can indeed move into the light; it’s just that they take the lift rather than walk.
Discover more fascinating trees
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Main image: Getty images