r/BreadStapledToTrees

A photo of bread stapled to a tree, typical of the subreddit

r/BreadStapledToTrees is a subreddit in which users post photos of bread that has been stapled to trees. The posts create variations on the premise and unique combinations of bread and trees. As a virtual community, r/BreadStapledToTrees is popular for its absurd premise, but has a sense of community identity. Its absurdity has been compared to early internet culture.

The idea for r/BreadStapledToTrees was created by two high schoolers, Charlie L. and his friend, in March 2017. It became an internet meme with global participants, and the subreddit grew to hundreds of thousands of members. The subreddit grew in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The subreddit has rules to ensure creativity, safety of trees, and adherence to the premise.

History

r/BreadStapledToTrees was founded in March 2017 by Charlie L., nicknamed "the OG Bread Stapler". Charlie, who was 15 or 16 at the time, got the idea from a friend who came up with it after school. The two initially had the idea of a subreddit for "whole wheat bread stapled to trees", but changed it to be more less specific. In a post from a since-deleted account, Charlie's explanation for the subreddit's creation was, "I honestly don't know."

In 2019, the subreddit was covered in Esquire, which called it a "baffling new meme", and Yahoo News, which called it a "bizarre trend". The subreddit surged in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic as an outdoor activity people could do while staying at home. In 2022, the subreddit had 315,000 members and three moderators.

r/BreadStapledToTrees is "a global phenomenon", according to Atlas Obscura. In May 2019, a member of a Facebook group for Redcliffe Peninsula residents posted a photograph of bread stapled to a tree. Other users responded by linking to the subreddit. In July 2019, the trend gained attention in Sheffield, England, after a resident posted a photo and wrote, "There is a curious development in Brincliffe Gardens... Is this part of some weird new cult?"

Content

Bread stapled to a tree branch

The subreddit's first three rules say:

1. Don't post non-bread
2. Don't post non-stapled bread
3. Don't staple it to non-trees

The "acceptable bread list" specifies what is allowed to be stapled, including dough-based foods besides bread. Alternative subreddits exist for fastening methods other than staples. To ensure trees are not damaged, it is banned to use more than three slices of bread, or to use bonsai, cacti, or young trees. It is recommended to remove staples after photographing them to prevent animals from eating them. The moderators remove posts that do not actually contain bread stapled to trees, but may make exceptions for creativity. Moderator Bob Anderson told Bon Appétit, "We want people to actually be creative, actually go outside and staple bread to trees. We don’t want someone to just be lazy with it."

Users come up with creative variations on the subreddit's simple concept. Users post photos with titles describing their combinations of breads and trees, such as "Dempster's White on Canadian Oak". Some staple bread as a social activity. Some have posted bread they found stapled by others. Users have posted prom and homecoming proposals that consist of bread stapled to trees. User Andy Chamberlain, known as u/I_Say_Fool_Of_A_Took, created a music video about the subreddit. Comments on the subreddit give compliments or art criticism about posts.

The subreddit is popular for its absurdity and for being a friendly, constructive community. A paper by social media analyst Kim Cousins says, "Although focused around an absurd topic, [it] is an example of a strong virtual community and displays many characteristics of a traditional offline community including weak ties and strong social identity." Bon Appétit and Esquire have compared the subreddit's weird appeal to the early internet. A post on the subreddit explains its premise with the definition of bread as a "staple food".