A must read book The Hidden Life of Trees.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. I have heard about this. It makes me very happy.

Learned something interesting a few months ago.
we live where a powerful hurricane passed thru in 2004. Many trees in our region are leaning, to various degrees. One tall hickory near the corner of my house has a 15 degree lean, and yet has remained healthy
and "upright" for 13 years now.
Come to find out...when trees develop a lean, they produce special wood cells that are very strong, like cement, so to speak, and that holds the leaning part more firmly.
also, it does help that down here that wild grape and Ivy and a bunch of other climbing vines grow up trees.

thanks for the link, botany.