trees
Latest about trees

Deforestation: Facts about the widespread destruction of Earth's forests
By Patrick Pester last updated
Fact file Deforestation can include clearing the land for farming or livestock, or using the timber for fuel, construction or manufacturing.

Eerily circular 'Goblin Forest' surrounds sacred volcano with human rights
By Harry Baker published
Earth from space This 2023 satellite photo shows New Zealand's Mount Taranaki, which is surrounded by a near-perfect circle of deformed trees. The volcano was recently granted the same legal rights as a person.

Where did the 1st seeds come from?
By Patrick Pester published
From delicate dandelions to mighty oak trees, millions of plants use seeds to reproduce. But where did the first seeds come from?

'Another piece of the puzzle': Antarctica's 1st-ever amber fossil sheds light on dinosaur-era rainforest that covered South Pole 90 million years ago
By Harry Baker published
Until now, Antarctica was the only continent on Earth without any known amber fossils. But sediment cores taken from below the seafloor have revealed a tiny piece of fossilized resin holding fragments of an ancient rainforest that covered the South Pole during the Cretaceous period.

How is paper made from trees?
By Olivia Ferrari published
Plant-based paper has been used for thousands of years, but exactly how is it created from trees?

'Completely unexpected': New type of wood discovered by scientists dubbed 'midwood'
By Raymond Wightman, Jan Łyczakowski published
Tulip trees were long renowned for their carbon storage. Their unique wood may be responsible.

3 remarkable trees: A living fossil, a deadly canopy, and the world's biggest seeds that were once mounted in gold by royals
By Christina Harrison, Tony Kirkham published
"Sailors believed they grew underwater at the bottom of the Indian Ocean, and it was thought that male trees uprooted themselves on stormy nights and walked to find female trees, embracing them to pollinate their large flowers."

Even trees 'hold their breath' to avoid harmful wildfire smoke, research finds
By Delphine Farmer, Mj Riches published
Trees don't like to breathe wildfire smoke, either.

100-foot 'walking tree' in New Zealand looks like an Ent from Lord of the Rings — and is the lone survivor of a lost forest
By Harry Baker published
An unusual northern rātā tree that looks like it is striding across an empty field has been crowned New Zealand's Tree of the Year. The giant plant, which looks strikingly similar to an Ent from "The Lord of the Rings," is centuries old.
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.

