Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Tree with a twist, 1 by Maackia

Maackia wrote:
Any idea what might cause this type of bark development? I think this is an apple tree of some sort, but not really sure. It looks to be about 15-20' tall, and grows on a small residential lot in what I would describe as being moderately protected site. I think its rather striking and was wondering if there is some way to promote this type of development, or is this just a genetic fluke. I've seen other trees (Norway Maple comes to mind) where the bark has a noticeable twist, but nothing close to this look.