tree
檴 centers on a tree, specifically a type of tree. The meaning is narrow and concrete, referring to a particular kind of tree rather than a broad concept.
檴 combines 木 (tree) with 蒦, which likely contributes the sound. The character is used for a specific tree name, but the exact historical development of the right component is uncertain.
The left side is 木 (tree), and the right side 蒦 looks like a complex bundle of plants and a hand. Picture a specific tree with tangled branches that someone is trying to identify.
For カク, imagine a tree with bark that looks like a 角 (かく, corner/angle) pattern: 角 -> カク, and the tree's bark has angular lines.