A photograph purportedly depicting two trees intricately entwined in a knot-like shape often garners intrigued responses as it circulates on social media platforms:
This is an authentic photograph of a twisted “knot” tree. Nevertheless, these trees did not naturally grow into this formation. This is a living tree sculpture crafted by Aharon Naveh.
It’s important to mention that while images of these trees have circulated with titles like “pretzel knot trees,” these descriptions aren’t literal nor do any of them seem to be the official title of this tree sculpture. In precise terms, the shape of this tree could be most accurately described as a granny knot.
While we couldn’t locate this specific image, the knot or pretzel trees depicted can be found at a living tree sculpture farm in Kibbutz Revivim in the Negev desert of southern Israel. According to Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Aharon Naveh initiated the cultivation of these tree sculptures at the kibbutz, a communal settlement, in 1985 by meticulously tying, pushing, pressing, bending, and twisting these trees until they attain the desired shapes.
