‘Clutch’ the Sweetgum

Why remarkable: Survivability

In most cases, some of the most remarkable features are buried under our feet.  Not so with this Sweetgum tree by the edge of the James River at the upper ledges of Pony Pasture Rapids. At normal river levels, one might wonder why this tree has wrapped its tentacles so tenaciously around the rocks and earth of the bank, but when the James is swollen the reason is clear.