krummholz

American  

[kroom-hohlts] / ˈkrʊm hoʊlts /

noun

plural

krummholz

1. a forest of stunted trees near the timber line on a mountain.

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krummholz British  

/ ˈkrʊmˌhəʊlts /

noun

1. botany another name for elfin forest woodland

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Etymology

Origin of krummholz

First recorded in 1900–05; from German, equivalent to krumm “crooked, bent, warped, devious” ( Old High German krumb ) + Holz “wood”; see origin at crumhorn, holt

Explanation

Krummholz are trees that grow in such windy or icy conditions that they become bent, twisted, and smaller than normal. You're likely to find krummholz near the tree line when you're hiking up a mountain. At high elevations, only the most resilient trees survive. Stunted, wizened krummholz are a visible example of how species adapt to continual harsh conditions. Trees like fir, birch, and spruce are much shorter than normal, sometimes taking the form of shrubs or even ground cover. Other krummholz trees have gray, weatherbeaten trunks that are twisted like bonsai. The German roots of krummholz are krumm, "crooked," and Holz, "wood."