A plastic tree has appeared on the edge of the New Forest. Its located next to a busy roundabout on the A326 near Dibden Purlieu. Its a new breed of mobile telephone mast which are disguised as Cypress trees.

Its trunk is a galvanized steel pole covered with plastic bark. It even has a little bark access door! The bark appears to be stuck on with resin glue and was pulling away in one place.

The branches and foliage appear to be plastic and are pushed into small steel tubes which are first welded on to the steel stem. I think its modeled on a Leyland or Lawson Cypress or maybe a Thuja?

According to a Bedfordshire News web site, these trees cost around £36,000 and are designed by Francis and Lewis International of Gloucester (who also designed telephone masts in the shape of a giant pencil, a sculpture and boat masts). The mast is constructed from steel, latex and fibre glass and features moulded fake bark, fake leaves & branches.

• Link to BBC News Story for 'fake masts'

• Link to BBC News Story for 'plastic pines'

Just wait for the day when the foliage colour fades to a black/brown and tree contractors attempt to fell it as a 'remove dead trees on road verge' works schedule!

These two metal & plastic beasts were snapped by Chris Hastie. The correct botanical name for these were discussed in great detail on the UKTC.  

© 2003 Chris Skellern. AIE.    Home  | News | A-Z Index  | Resources  |  Contact AIE  |  Terms of Use