Krummholz

Krummholz (German: krumm, "crooked, bent, twisted" and Holz, "wood") — also called knieholz ("knee timber") — is a type of stunted, deformed vegetation encountered in the subarctic and subalpine tree line landscapes, shaped by continual exposure to fierce, freezing winds.

Instances of the krummholz form of black spruce, Picea mariana, are found in the northern Canadian boreal forests.

contorta) is a minor associate in most of the British Columbia interior, except in dry alpine areas of the southwest Cariboo/Chilcotin district where it is abundant (Pojar 1985).

[9] Ericaceous species (Vaccinium scoparium, V. membranaceum, V. caespitosum, Cassiope mertensiana, Phyllodoce empetriformis) are common in the snow accumulation zone around the base of krummholz colonies.

[citation needed] In the Alps in Europe, a scrubland of Pinus mugo is described as occupying the area above the tree line.

In the Rocky Mountains, several tree species appear in a similar stunted form, such as specific North American variants of spruce, fir, and pine.

Branches on the windward side are killed or deformed by the almost constant strong winds, giving the tree a characteristic flag-like appearance.