Hangman tree The hangman tree is so named for its rope - like appendages . These sinewy vines resemble nooses at their ends and when dropped down appear much as if they were hanging ropes . Hangman trees are deciduous and are found in temperate to subtropical climes . Bio . Their shallow root systems and small numbers of leaves require them to supplement their nutrition by direct ingestion of protein . Thus , each tree traps prey . A hangman tree can move very slowly , its effective movement being but a few feet per day once fully grown . Saplings ' move about 6 feet per hour , mature trees at about one - third that rate . All are solitary . During freezing weather , a taproot is put down and the tree is dormant . A hangman tree has no interest in any sort of treasure , and as each moves constantly , it is unlikely that any treasure will be found near one , although indigestible items will be expelled from the belly - trunk periodically . Encounters . The tree attacks by dropping its noose - like appendages around prey . Although each tree has 6 - 9 appendages , only 3 can be controlled at one time . This is exclusive of damage to the tree proper . When in contact with a victim , the vine - like appendage is drawn tight . As the vine tightens and lifts the prey ( up to 1000 pounds ) to the upper trunk opening . The victim is then dropped into the acidic secretion contained within the barrel of the trunk of the hangman tree , and then digestion takes place . Escape from the trunk - stomach is nearly impossible due to sharp growths which surround the top opening and point down and inward . About 3 man - sized victims can fit within the tree ' s digestive cavity at one time . Each hangman tree has a hallucinatory perfume which it can release at will , usually doing so while prey is 30 - 80 feet distant . This will cause victims to believe the tree to be some ordinary sort of quickwood or Treant , etc . A tree of this sort can speak haltingly in Common learned over the years . Each also has a magic resistance based on its age because it draws power from the environment . A hangman tree resembles a thick oak with few branches and sparse foliage . There are knot - like protruberances where the sensory organs are , usually high on the trunk . The lower trunk will show a scar - like place for expulsion of indigestibles . Notes . The hangman tree is a plant . It resembles a sparsely foliaged , deciduous oak with noose - like vines hanging from the branches , hence the name . Though a plant , it is highly intelligent , and is capable of speaking Common , has a mind and conciousness , and is resistant to magic . It can sense when prey is near , hibernate in the winter , and can attack with a will of its own . Hangman trees , having few leaves and shallow root systems , need to catch prey . They release on will a hallucinatory perfume when victims are in the vicinity , which makes them mistake the hangman tree for a normal tree , or even a treant . Victims then come near , and the hangman tree drops its nooses around the necks of the victims , strangles them , and then lifts them up and drops them into an opening in their trunk which leads into their stomach . Hangman trees are regarded as neutral in alignment .