Singapore "Supertrees"

Photograph by Wong Maye-E, AP

Towering structures dubbed "Supertrees" partially block Singapore's financial skyline in a picture taken Wednesday. Ranging from 82 to 164 feet (25 to 50 meters) tall, the human-made, concrete trees are actually vertical gardens covered in tropical flowering climbers, ferns, and epiphytes—nonparasitic plants that grow without soil, using other plants or objects for support.

Picture of vertical gardens dubbed Supertrees being built in Singapore

The Supertrees are part of the Gardens by the Bay, a government effort to bring a sampling of the national gardens into the city center, according to the Associated Press. When the site is complete, it will host 18 Supertrees covered in more than 200 species and varieties of plant life.

Why We Love It

"This picture of contradictions was a surprise from the start, but the scale of the workers at the bottom of the frame tipped it over the edge for me."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

"I love how surreal this scene looks, with these giant 'trees' dwarfing the construction workers below. It looks like a scene from a science fiction movie. I also love the concept behind these gardens—green innovation of fantastic proportions."—Alexa Keefe, photography producer

"This is one of those images that makes you have to do a double take to make sure you're not seeing an artist rendering for another film like Avatar. … If anything, the photo shows imagination at a jaw-dropping scale."—Web Barr, associate photo producer

Published June 30, 2011