Tree Top Trivia

My favorite place when I was a kid was in the very top of a pine tree. I liked the smell and I could see everywhere. But nobody could see me. It was my own secret place. My mom hated trying to get the sap out of my clothes. I hated trying to get it off my hands. But I loved that tree.

I was thinking about that tree the other day and decided to learn a little about trees in general. I found out quite a bit. So I'm going to share a few fun facts and you can learn a little too.

Trees are the longest living organisms on earth. Some have been known to live up to 5,000 years. They never die of old age.

The shade of trees and the wind buffering they provide saves $1,200,000 in heating and cooling costs per year.

The bark of a redwood tree is fireproof. The inside of the tree will burn but not the bark.

Oak trees are struck by lightning more often than any other tree. This is possibly one reason that the ancient Greeks considered oak trees sacred to Zeus, god of thunder and lightning.

When willow trees are attacked by pests, they emit a chemical message to the other willows. The other willows will produce more tannin for their leaves. That makes it more difficult for the insects to digest the leaves.

An acre of trees can absorb as much carbon dioxide in one year (2.6 tons) as a car driven up to 8700 miles can produce.

A tree doesn't reach its most productive carbon storage stage until it is about 10 years old. The death of one 70 year old tree will return more than three tons of carbon to the atmosphere.

The 236 ft (72 m) high Ada Tree of Australia is 50 ft (15.4 m) around and has a root system that takes up more than an acre.

Dendrochronology is the science of calculating a tree's age by its rings. Tree rings provide precise information about environmental events, including volcanic eruptions.

Nebraska, home of the first Arbor Day, has more than 200,000 acres of trees planted by people. That is one of the world's largest man planted forests.

One large tree can pull up to 100 gallons of water from the ground and discharge it into the air each day.

More than 5000 products are made from trees.

Trees grow from the top. That is why a birdhouse or swing hung from a branch does not go any higher.

Trees don't repair wood that is injured and infected -- instead they compartmentalize the damaged tissue. New cells are not produced to replace the damaged cells.

Studies have shown that when a person is placed in a tree environment, his/her blood pressure drops and tension is eased.

So I think I will go climb a tree and lower my blood pressure. Hope I don't fall and break my arm. If you want to feel more relaxed. go for a stroll in the woods.

Comments

  1. What a great post! These are such interesting facts about trees! Before we moved there were a couple pine trees in our yard that my children loved to climb. It was sad to leave those trees. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. We loved to climb every tree around as a kid.I had a pine tree that was fun to hide in also.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JayLrigh, Thanks for stopping by and for liking the post. I don't know of any kid who doesn't like to climb a tree. Adventures are only limited by imagination.

    Out on the Prairie, Your in put is always a welcome sight. Being invisible in a tree gives a kid a sense of power. And if I could find one with a good hangman's limb, I could be a cowboy or a star on the balance beam or any number of other people.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Those pine trees are a blessing to children , I can see. They are just so climbable and massive . I met more than other children climbing my favorite pine tree as a kid ...including a raccoon and a porcupine who had 'dibs' in my book.

    ReplyDelete
  5. thepowmill, I think you were wise to back away from those animals. They tend to get nasty if they think their territory is being invaded. Thanks for commenting.

    ReplyDelete
  6. remembering my childhood.. nice post...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Glad I could bring back happy thoughts, Revie. Thanks for stopping by.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Comments are good. Comments are fun.
You'll be glad if you leave us one.