Perhaps no American city symbolizes urban decay more than Detroit, Michigan. Modern day ruins of the Motor City are not difficult to find, as nature has reclaimed much of the city and neighboring areas.

When their occupants left, the homes in the slideshow above became examples of what happens when weather and nature take over unattended homes.

Using Google Maps time lapse function, it’s easy to see how much the Detroit suburbs have changed over just the last few years. Several homes are captured in the slideshow above and shown across several years, between 2007 and 2013.

A lot changes throughout those six years. Homes and neighborhoods are transformed as people move out and nature moves in.

Weeds, grass and trees grow in the abandoned homes, and take over parts of each neighborhood.

But the changes to these buildings stretch beyond natural occurrences. Graffiti and garbage can be seen covering many properties. Several homes appear to have been destroyed by fires, but are left standing for years instead of being torn down and rebuilt.

No street appears as devastated as Hoyt Avenue, which had two well-kept homes in 2009 that were completely overrun by grass and weeds by 2013.

MORE FROM WEATHER.COM: Modern Ruins of Abandoned Detroit

Fisher Body 21 Plant in Detroit. (Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre)