This is one of the "Circus Trees," named the "Basket Tree." This is really several London plane trees grafted together. A Swedish emigrant, Axel Erlandson started this tree and many other strangely shaped grafted trees in Hilmar, California, in the early 1920's. In addition to London plane trees, willows, box elders, ash, poplars and maple trees were grafted into unusual shapes. The trees were dug, moved and transplanted to Scott's Valley, over 100 miles away in California in 1945. These trees became part of the "Tree Circus", a tourist attraction. The trees were featured in Ripley's Believe It Or Not as "The World's Strangest Trees". In November 1985 the trees were brought to Gilroy, California where they were eventually planted in the Bonfante Garden's Theme Park.