Trees form a big part of our immediate environment. Some are planted for purposes of bearing fruits, others for the beauty of flowers, conservation of the environment, while others are self-growing. Apparently, there is so much we don’t know about these trees, and here are some interesting facts that may surprise you.
Trees outlive all other living things
Trees are known to survive for the longest time on earth, far more than any other living thing. Depending on the tree species, some can live for thousands of years. For example, the baobab can live for thousands of years, even after attaining optimum growth.
Cottonwood seeds can stay on air for several days
Trees generally reproduce through the production of seeds, but did you know that cottonwood seeds can stay airborne for several days without landing on land?
Trees are connected to gods
People from various backgrounds believe in different superstitions, one of which is that gods reside in specific ancestral trees. Though some of these traditions are slowly fading, there's still a huge connection of trees to powers associated with the gods.
Trees attract rainfall
Grown trees absorb moisture from the earth, then release the same into the atmosphere. Precipitation occurs, and then the earth gets rainfall in the process. Tree planting has been hailed as one of the surest ways of curbing desertification.
Trees have genders too
It may sound unreal, but you may not have guessed some trees are classified into the male and female genders. For example, where male pine cones are tasked with shedding pollen, their female counterparts make seeds. The wind blows pollen into the female cones, and then fertilization takes place.
You can tell the age of a tree by looking at the rings
There are only a few methods of capturing the age of a tree, including carbon-dating, which is a little complex. However, did you know, counting the number of rings from a cut tree reveals the exact number of years a tree has lived?
Tree parts grow at different times of the year
Typically, foliage growth takes place mostly during springtime, while the trunk grows during summer. The roots, on the other hand, develop during winter and fall.
Trees have their own self-defense mechanism
When there is an unprecedented insect invasion, trees have the ability to flood their leaves with phenolics chemical that turns away insects. They are also said to signal danger when such raids occur, for other trees to prepare their own defense.
Conclusion
Classified as living things, there are a lot of hidden facts about trees that may be unknown to humans yet. From the common tree species, though, scientists have consistently been researching to establish even more facts.
