Detroit has as many as 10,000 abandoned structures at any given time. These images show exactly how far nature can go in reclaiming the built environment.

These photos by James D. Griffioen show houses disappearing behind ivy, eroding into dust and being torn up by tree roots in urban decay.

Detroit recently made it onto Forbes’ list of the top 10 fastest dying cities and has an unemployment level approaching 10 per cent.

Photographer Kevin Bauman has also recently captured 100 abandoned houses in the city, subverting the idyllic landscape tradition and charting the city’s urban decay.