Amazing Facts about Trees

You probably already know something about trees. You may know, for example, that they absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, thus helping to maintain a healthy environment for other life forms–such as ourselves. They also reduce soil erosion. And they provide food and shelter for a wide variety of wildlife. But here are some other facts that might amaze you.

+ Trees can talk. Perhaps communicate is a better word. Here’s an example. If insects begin to infest a tree, that tree will flood its leaves with a chemical that wards off insects. When other trees nearby “sense” what that tree is doing, they will begin the chemical repellent process immediately–even before a single insect has penetrated their domain! Trees “talk” through their roots, too, sharing valuable information about water and soil with each other.

+ Trees can get quite old. Some trees are the oldest living organisms on our planet. A bristlecone pine in the California White Mountains is more than 5,000 years old! Just think: it was 3,000 years old when Jesus walked the hills of Galilee. In fact, that tree was alive when woolly mammoths roamed the earth. The last woolly mammoth died about 4,000 years ago!

+Trees have been to the moon. In 1971, Apollo 14 carried hundreds of different tree seeds on their mission to the moon. NASA wanted to see what effect a trip in outerspace might have on the seeds. After circling the moon, the seeds returned back to earth and were eventually planted all over the U.S. and world. One loblolly pine tree, grown from one of those seeds, stands today on the White House grounds. You can goggle “moon seeds” to see if there is a moon tree near you. I did. And I learned that Ohio has two moon trees: a sycamore in Friendship Park, Jefferson County (Steubenville area) and a sweetgum in Wayne National Forest in Nelsonville (between Columbus and Athens).

+ Trees can hear. Trees can “hear” or sense water flowing underground and can adjust their roots accordingly.

+Trees can save you money. In summer they can slash your air-conditioning expenses by 30%. In winter, they can greatly reduce those cold weather drafts.

+ Trees can act like a compass. If you ever get lost in a forest, trees can help you find your way out. Simply look for moss growing on the trees. Moss grows on the north side of a tree in the northern hemishpere, and on the south side in the southern hemisphere.

+ Trees grow from the top. If you hang a birdhouse on a lower branch of a young tree, it won’t move up the tree as the tree grows. That’s because trees grow from the top. But you might find your birdhouse on the ground someday, because some trees discard their lower branches as they grow taller.

+ Different parts of the tree grow at different times of the year. Tree foliage grows in the spring, trunks grow in the summer, and roots grow in the winter.

+ Trees reach out for help. Trees are not afraid to ask for help when they need it. When an apple tree is beset with caterpillars, for example, it will release a chemical that attracts caterpillar-eating birds! (If only we human beings were just as willing to reach out for help when we need it!)

+ Some quotes about trees. “People who plant trees knowing that they will never sit in their shade, have at least started to understand the meaning of life.” Rabindranath Tagore … “Time spent among trees is never wasted.” Katrina Mayer … “A culture is no better than its woods.” W.H. Auden… “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” Chinese proverb.

+Trees can make us kinder. Partly because they release chemicals called phytoncides (also known as “essential oils”) that have been shown to reduce blood pressure and lessen anxiety.

+ Trees are great symbols: Trees represent harmony and balance… life and death… strength and calmness… slow steady growth… stability. Aren’t these values and concepts we strive to reflect in our own lives? Jesus must have liked trees. Two examples: He compared the Kingdom of God to a tree (Mt. 13:31-32), and he often went to the grove of olive trees to pray.

These are just a few amazing facts about trees. But one fact we must never overlook is this: Trees are incredibly beautiful!

For reflection:

Did anything catch your attention in today’s reflection?

Did you have any favorite trees in your childhood? or now at this time in your life?

What tree do you think is the most beautiful tree?

Are there any other lessons we can learn from trees?

Look around your house today and notice all the things that are made from wood. Maybe even your house is! Don’t forget the books and paper you see! Give thanks for all the different kind of trees that have made your daily living possible!

Say “thank you” to a specific tree you see or meet today.

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PS: Every time I publish a new book, I thank the trees that made the many copies of my new book possible! Right now, my newest book is being printed. It is entitled Sunflower Seeds of Hope and is based on my blog. I’ve been writing my blog since February 2012. That means I have written about 600 different reflections. So I selected 40 of them from over the years (I had a 128 page limit) and edited them for the book. Each reflection includes reflective questions, a suggested video, and two or three readers’ comments from my blog! That means many of you helped me write this book! I’ll let you know when Sunflower Seeds of Hope is available at Twenty-Third Publications and on Amazon. A BIG thank you to all of you for supporting my blog!

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As I said, trees are beautiful. I’m offering two videos that reinforce this idea. The first is a 3 minute video called “The Tree.” It highlights the beauty of trees through simple yet stunning pictures of trees and soothing piano music. It is produced by Juliano. The second video (18 mins.) is called “Rewilding a Forest.” It tells the story of Swedish poet and artist Maria Westerberg who lives in the forest her family has owned for four generations. An infestation of bark beetles began to destroy the pine trees around her. She watched in horror as the dying trees’ needles began raining down upon her, and she heard yet another dead tree fall to the ground. Eventually, she and her good friend Johannes found a way to begin to “rewild the forest.” I found their story uplifting and hopeful. I also loved her creative artwork largely fashioned from the sticks and branches on the forest floor. This short film won many film awards. I can see why!

“The Tree”

“Rewilding a Forest”: This video has closed captions. Just click on cc at the bottom.

I encourage you to add a comment to my blog below. For example, share your answer to one of the questions. Or what did you notice, think, or feel about either of the videos? We would all love to hear from you!