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Although the straightening capacity of the stem is key for light capture and mechanical stability in forest trees, little is known about its adaptive implications. Assuming that stem straightening is costly, trade-offs are expected with competing processes such as growth, maintenance, and defence. We established a manipulative experiment in a common garden of Pinus pinaster including provenances typically showing either straight-stemmed or crooked-stemmed phenotypes. We imposed a bending up to 35º on plants aged 9 years of both provenance groups and followed the straightening kinetics and shoot elongation after releasing. Eight months later, we destructively assessed biomass partitioning, reaction wood, wood microdensity, xylem reserve carbohydrates, and phloem secondary metabolites. The experimental bending and release caused significant, complex changes with a marked difference between …