Trees in Formby woods are shaking hands - very interesting phenomena

Dear Formby Bubble:

Trees shaking hands... Came across this strange, interesting phenomena in Formby woods .. wondered has anyone else come across it elsewhere in Formby?

Is it natural inosculation? Or grafting of two sycamore trees?

Thanks

Formby Bubble answer:

Inosculation is a natural phenomenon in which trunks, branches or roots of two trees grow together. It is biologically similar to grafting and such trees are referred to in forestry as gemels, from the Latin word meaning ’a pair’.

It is most common for branches of two trees of the same species to grow together, though inosculation may be noted across related species. The branches first grow separately in proximity to each other until they touch. At this point, the bark on the touching surfaces is gradually abraded away as the trees move in the wind. Once the cambium of two trees touches, they sometimes self-graft and grow together as they expand in diameter. Inosculation customarily results when tree limbs are braided or preached.

The term inosculation is also used in the context of plastic surgery as one of the three mechanisms by which skin grafts take at the host site. Blood vessels from the recipient site are believed to connect with those of the graft in order to restore vascularity.