Portal:Trees

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In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are usable as lumber or plants above a specified height. In wider definitions, the taller palms, tree ferns, bananas, and bamboos are also trees.

Trees are not a monophyletic taxonomic group but consist of a wide variety of plant species that have independently evolved a trunk and branches as a way to tower above other plants to compete for sunlight. The majority of tree species are angiosperms or hardwoods; of the rest, many are gymnosperms or softwoods. Trees tend to be long-lived, some reaching several thousand years old. Trees evolved around 370 million years ago, and it is estimated that there are around three trillion mature trees in the world currently.

A tree typically has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground by the trunk, which typically contains woody tissue for strength, and vascular tissue to carry materials from one part of the tree to another. For most trees the trunk is surrounded by a layer of bark which serves as a protective barrier. Below the ground, the roots branch and spread out widely; they serve to anchor the tree and extract moisture and nutrients from the soil. Above ground, the branches divide into smaller branches and shoots. The shoots typically bear leaves, which capture light energy and convert it into sugars by photosynthesis, providing the food for the tree's growth and development.

Trees usually reproduce using seeds. Flowering plants have their seeds inside fruits, while conifers carry their seeds in cones, and tree ferns produce spores instead.

Trees play a significant role in reducing erosion and moderating the climate. They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store large quantities of carbon in their tissues. Trees and forests provide a habitat for many species of animals and plants. Tropical rainforests are among the most biodiverse habitats in the world. Trees provide shade and shelter, timber for construction, fuel for cooking and heating, and fruit for food as well as having many other uses. In much of the world, forests are shrinking as trees are cleared to increase the amount of land available for agriculture. Because of their longevity and usefulness, trees have always been revered, with sacred groves in various cultures, and they play a role in many of the world's mythologies. (Full article...)

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Banksia dentata, commonly known as the tropical banksia, is a species of tree in the family Proteaceae. It occurs across northern Australia, southern New Guinea and the Aru Islands. Growing as a gnarled tree to 7 m (23 ft) high, it has large green leaves up to 22 cm (8.7 in) long with dentate margins. The cylindrical yellow inflorescences, up to 13 cm (5.1 in) high, appear between November and May, attracting various species of honeyeaters, sunbirds, the sugar glider and a variety of insects. Flowers fall off the ageing spikes, which swell and develop follicles containing up to two viable seeds each.

Banksia dentata is one of four Banksia species collected by Sir Joseph Banks in 1770, and one of the four species published in 1782 as part of Carolus Linnaeus the Younger's original description of Banksia. Within the genus, it is classified in the series Salicinae, a group of species from Australia's eastern states. Genetic studies show it is a basal member within the group. Banksia dentata is found in tropical grassland known as savanna, and associated with Pandanus and Melaleuca. It regenerates from bushfire by regrowing from its woody base, known as a lignotuber. (Full article...)

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... that the Easter egg tree (pictured) in Saalfeld, Thuringia, was decorated with 10,000 Easter eggs in 2012?
... that the Living Willow Theatre, an open air theatre constructed of living willow trees, is located near the village of Llanwrthwl and occasionally holds outdoor performances of Shakespeare?
... that Wollemi Stringybark, a tree that grows to 45 metres (148 ft) high northwest of Sydney, remains officially undescribed?
... that Linton Park in Kent, England, has an avenue of Giant Sequoia trees planted in 1864?
... that the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve contains a "stone tree"?
... that the scarlet honey myrtle, an ornamental garden shrub, is from the same genus as the punk tree?
... that the towers of architect Terunobu Fujimori's Lamune Onsen have pine trees planted on the apex of their roofs?

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The Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) is a South American tree in the family Lecythidaceae, and it is also the name of the tree's commercially harvested edible seeds. It is one of the largest and longest-lived trees in the Amazon rainforest. The fruit and its nutshell – containing the edible Brazil nut – are relatively large and weigh as much as 2 kg (4.4 lb) in total. As food, Brazil nuts are notable for diverse content of micronutrients, especially a high amount of selenium. The wood of the Brazil nut tree is prized for its quality in carpentry, flooring, and heavy construction. (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from various tree-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1People trees, by Pooktre (from Tree)
Image 2Lepidodendron, an extinct lycophyte tree (from Tree)
Image 34000 years old Cypress of Abarqu is the oldest tree in Iran and the second oldest tree in the world. (from List of trees of Iran)
Image 4Proportion and distribution of global forest area by climatic domain, 2020 (from Forest)
Image 5Roof trusses made from softwood (from Tree)
Image 6Tall herbaceous monocotyledonous plants such as banana lack secondary growth, but are trees under the broadest definition. (from Tree)
Image 7Redwood tree in northern California redwood forest, where many redwood trees are managed for preservation and longevity, rather than being harvested for wood production (from Forest)
Image 8The Daintree Rainforest (from Tree)
Image 9Northern beech (Fagus sylvatica) trunk in autumn (from Tree)
Image 10Alnus glutinosa (from List of trees of Great Britain and Ireland)
Image 11Common ash (Fraxinus excelsior), a deciduous broad-leaved (angiosperm) tree (from Tree)
Image 12Share of land that is covered by forest (from Forest)
Image 13Temperate rainforest in Tasmania's Hellyer Gorge (from Forest)
Image 14Recently stripped cork oak (Quercus suber) (from Tree)
Image 15Spiny forest at Ifaty, Madagascar, featuring various Adansonia (baobab) species, Alluaudia procera (Madagascar ocotillo) and other vegetation (from Forest)
Image 16A forest near Vinitsa, North Macedonia (from Forest)
Image 17Since the 13th century, the Niepołomice Forest in Poland has had special use and protection. In this view from space, different coloration can indicate different functions. (from Forest)
Image 18Olive trees in Pakistan (from Trees of Pakistan)
Image 19Rowan tree in Wicklow, Ireland (from List of trees of Great Britain and Ireland)
Image 20Broadleaf forest in Bhutan (from Forest)
Image 21A section of yew (Taxus baccata) showing 27 annual growth rings, pale sapwood and dark heartwood (from Tree)
Image 22Garibaldi Provincial Park, British Columbia (from Forest)
Image 23Priest River winding through Whitetail Butte with lots of forestry to the east—these lot patterns have existed since the mid-19th century. The white patches reflect areas with younger, smaller trees, where winter snow cover shows up brightly to the astronauts. Dark green-brown squares are parcels (from Forest)
Image 24Forest in the Scottish Highlands (from Forest)
Image 25The Amazon rainforest alongside the Solimões River, a tropical rainforest. These forests are the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems in the world. (from Forest)
Image 26The General Sherman Tree, thought to be the world's largest by volume (from Tree)
Image 27Neem tree at Sant Nenuram Ashram (from Trees of Pakistan)
Image 28Latvian Pine Forest in Ķegums Municipality (from Forest)
Image 29Informal upright style of bonsai on a juniper tree (from Tree)
Image 30Conifers in the Swabian alps (from Tree)
Image 31Trees in art: Weeping Willow, Claude Monet, 1918 (from Tree)
Image 32Share of forest area in total land area, top countries (2021) (from Forest)
Image 33A young red pine (Pinus resinosa) with spread of roots visible, as a result of soil erosion (from Tree)
Image 34Diagram of secondary growth in a eudicot or coniferous tree showing idealised vertical and horizontal sections. A new layer of wood is added in each growing season, thickening the stem, existing branches and roots. (from Tree)
Image 35Casentinesi Forests, Italy (from Forest)
Image 36Yggdrasil, the World Ash of Norse mythology (from Tree)
Image 37Form, leaves and reproductive structures of queen sago, Cycas circinalis (from Tree)
Image 38Even, dense old-growth stand of beech trees (Fagus sylvatica) prepared to be regenerated by their saplings in the understory, in the Brussels part of the Sonian Forest. (from Forest)
Image 39Dormant buds of ash, Fraxinus excelsior (from Tree)
Image 40Malus sylvestris (from List of trees of Great Britain and Ireland)
Image 41European larch (Larix decidua), a coniferous tree which is also deciduous (from Tree)
Image 42Fraxinus excelsior (from List of trees of Great Britain and Ireland)
Image 43Proportion of forest in protected areas, by region, 2020 (from Forest)
Image 44Selling firewood at a market (from Tree)
Image 45An avenue of London planes (Platanus × hispanica) in a garden in Belgium. (from Tree)
Image 46Buds, leaves and reproductive structures of white fir, Abies alba (from Tree)
Image 47Cracked thorny skin of a Aesculus tree seed (from Tree)
Image 48Yellow cassia, an ornamental tree with yellow flowers (from Tree)
Image 49Palms and cycads as they might have appeared in the middle Tertiary (from Tree)
Image 50Burned forest on Thasos (from Forest)
Image 51World production of selected forest products (from Forest)
Image 52Buttress roots of the kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra) (from Tree)
Image 53Buds, leaves, flowers and fruit of pedunculate oak, Quercus robur (from Tree)
Image 54Latex collecting from a rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) (from Tree)
Image 55Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) tapped to collect sap for maple syrup (from Tree)
Image 56Wind dispersed seed of elm (Ulmus), ash (Fraxinus) and maple (Acer) (from Tree)