TreeNote

When I walk through an evergreen forest, I like to keep track of which way the trees twist. Many conifers have a spiral grain in their wood, meaning the fibers run in a gentle helix around the trunk rather than straight up and down.

It's that time of year when many of our sidewalks are stained dark purple with the fruit of the Mulberry tree, whose history is long and complicated.

Fine tree roots are adventurers who hunt for ways to keep their tree watered and vibrant.

Most of us have heard that you can tell how old a tree is by looking at the rings in a cross section of its trunk. But the scientists who work at the Center for Tree-Ring Science are finding more than just a tree’s age in them — they are also learning about their future.

National Geographic Explorer Brian Buma studies trees that live at the extreme. In 2020, he set out to answer a deceptively simple question: What is the world’s southernmost tree?

A native to India and parts of Southeast Asia, the Neem tree is something of a cure-all in those parts of the world. So, why aren't its healing properties in pharmacies all over the world?

City trees get their normal share of sunlight during the day, but when night comes, many of them also are exposed to human-made lights, which can change their natural patterns.

Treehoppers, one of the insect world's most beautiful creatures, also have a remarkable way of communicating.

The history of hockey and trees goes back to the sport's beginning.

Logger sports came to America and Canada in the mid-19th century. Almost 200 years later, logger sport competitions are still packed with people who love trees — and want to test their physical endurance.

Cherry blossoms are more than pretty decorations — when they pop is a record of our changing climate.

We usually think of water as being stored in oceans and rivers, but some trees act as reservoirs too.

If you want to appreciate something connected to trees — but that’s overlooked because it seems so small and mundane — consider the toothpick.

We’ve all seen pictures or witnessed firsthand the destructive force of high winds on trees — all those images of crushed homes and downed power lines.

Like Europe's giant Gothic cathedrals, there are large trees that rely on flying buttresses for support.

It’s no wonder that trees have long inspired artists. Not only are they beautiful, they also symbolize renewal, growth, time, knowledge and spirituality.

You may have heard of crepuscular animals — those that are most active during dawn and dusk — but what about the world of crepuscular trees?

No chocolate fan has to wonder why the scientific name of the cacao tree translate from the Greek to "the food of the gods."

When winter settles in, it’s great to get outside to navigate our snowy landscapes. But we don’t often think about how our winter adventures are often brought to us by trees.

The origin story of those little tree-shaped, pine-scented air fresheners goes back to a milkman who preferred the smell of fresh pine to sour milk.