Inbotany, atree is aperennial plant with an elongatedstem, ortrunk, usually supportingbranches andleaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including onlywoody plants withsecondary growth, only plants that are usable aslumber, or only plants above a specified height. Wider definitions include tallerpalms,tree ferns,bananas, andbamboos.

Trees are not amonophyletic taxonomic group but consist of a wide variety of plant species thathave independently evolved a trunk and branches as a way to tower above other plants to compete for sunlight. The majority of tree species areangiosperms or hardwoods; of the rest, many aregymnosperms or softwoods. Trees tend to be long-lived, some trees reaching several thousand years old. Trees evolved around 400 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 containswoody tissue for strength, andvascular tissue to carry materials from one part of the tree to another. For most trees the trunk is surrounded by a layer ofbark which serves as a protective barrier. Below the ground, theroots branch and spread out widely; they serve to anchor the tree and extract moisture and nutrients from thesoil. Above ground, the branches divide into smaller branches and shoots. The shoots typically bear leaves, which capture light energy and convert it into sugars byphotosynthesis, providing the food for the tree's growth and development.

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

Trees play a significant role in reducingerosion and moderating theclimate. They removecarbon dioxide from theatmosphere and store large quantities ofcarbon in their tissues. Trees andforests provide a habitat for many species of animals and plants.Tropical rainforests are among the mostbiodiverse habitats in the world. Trees provideshade 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, withsacred groves in various cultures, and they play a role in many of the world'smythologies. (Full article...)

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

Recognized content -show another

Entries here consist ofGood andFeatured articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.

Betula pubescens (syn.Betula alba), commonly known asdowny birch and also asmoor birch,white birch,European white birch orhairy birch, is a species ofdeciduous tree, native and abundant throughout northernEurope and northernAsia, growing further north than any otherbroadleaf tree. It is closely related to, and often confused with, thesilver birch (B. pendula), but grows in wetter places with heavier soils and poorer drainage; smaller trees can also be confused with thedwarf birch (B. nana).

Six varieties are recognised and it hybridises with the silver and dwarf birches. A number of cultivars have been developed, but many are no longer in cultivation. The larva of theautumnal moth (Epirrita autumnata) feeds on the foliage and in some years, large areas of birch forest can be defoliated by this insect. Many fungi are associated with the tree and certain pathogenic fungi are the causal agents ofbirch dieback disease. (Full article...)

List of recognized articles

Did you know? -show different entries

... that thePaget Marsh Nature Reserve inBermuda has been called the "best surviving example of nativeBermuda juniper,palmetto (pictured), andmangrove forests", yet at one point the island lost 99% of its juniper trees?
... that acanopy walkway connects seven tree tops inGhana'sKakum National Park?
... that theivory curl tree can grow 30 m (100 ft) tall in its natural rainforest habitat?
... that thetrumpet tree, a fast-growing tree native to the American tropics, is considered one of thehundred worst invasive alien species in the world?
... that the installation of anartificial Christmas tree in Brussels prompted an online petition against it with 25,000 signatures?
... that awhite oak tree with a trunk circumference of over 7.9 metres (26 ft) grew nearWolf Run until it was cut down in 1852?
... that theblue nuthatch (pictured) protects itscorneas from falling debris when prospecting on trees by contracting the bare skin around its eyes, anadaptation apparently unique to the species?

Start a new article

Selected article -show another

Crataegus laevigata, known as theMidland hawthorn,English hawthorn,woodland hawthorn, ormayflower, is a species ofhawthorn native to western and central Europe, fromGreat Britain (where it is typically found inancient woodland and old hedgerows) andSpain, east toRomania andUkraine. The species name is sometimes speltC. levigata, but the original orthography isC. lævigata. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

General images

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

Image 1Yellow cassia, an ornamental tree with yellow flowers (fromTree)
Image 2Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) tapped to collect sap formaple syrup (fromTree)
Image 3Recently stripped cork oak (Quercus suber) (fromTree)
Image 4Proportion of forest in protected areas, by region, 2020 (fromForest)
Image 5Lepidodendron, an extinctlycophyte tree (fromTree)
Image 6Casentinesi Forests, Italy (fromForest)
Image 7Buttress roots of the kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra) (fromTree)
Image 8Roof trusses made from softwood (fromTree)
Image 9Anavenue ofLondon planes (Platanus × hispanica) in a garden inBelgium. (fromTree)
Image 10Selling firewood at a market (fromTree)
Image 11Share of forest area in total land area, top countries (2021) (fromForest)
Image 12Share of land that is covered by forest (fromForest)
Image 13TheDaintree Rainforest (fromTree)
Image 14Yggdrasil, the World Ash ofNorse mythology (fromTree)
Image 15Palms and cycads as they might have appeared in the middleTertiary (fromTree)
Image 16Priest River winding through Whitetail Butte with lots offorestry 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 (fromForest)
Image 17Common ash (Fraxinus excelsior), adeciduous broad-leaved (angiosperm) tree (fromTree)
Image 18Even, denseold-growth stand of beech trees (Fagus sylvatica) prepared to be regenerated by their saplings in theunderstory, in theBrussels part of theSonian Forest. (fromForest)
Image 19Diagram ofsecondary growth in aeudicot orconiferous 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. (fromTree)
Image 20Garibaldi Provincial Park,British Columbia (fromForest)
Image 21Crackedthorny skin of aAesculus tree seed (fromTree)
Image 22People trees, by Pooktre (fromTree)
Image 23Dormant buds of ash,Fraxinus excelsior (fromTree)
Image 24Buds, leaves and reproductive structures of white fir,Abies alba (fromTree)
Image 25World production of selected forest products (fromForest)
Image 26Redwood tree in northern California redwood forest, where manyredwood trees are managed for preservation and longevity, rather than being harvested for wood production (fromForest)
Image 27Burned forest onThasos (fromForest)
Image 28A youngred pine (Pinus resinosa) with spread of roots visible, as a result of soil erosion (fromTree)
Image 29Spiny forest at Ifaty,Madagascar, featuring variousAdansonia (baobab) species,Alluaudia procera (Madagascar ocotillo) and other vegetation (fromForest)
Image 30TheAmazon rainforest alongside theSolimões River, atropical rainforest. These forests are the mostbiodiverse and productiveecosystems in the world. (fromForest)
Image 31Neem tree atSant Nenuram Ashram (fromTrees of Pakistan)
Image 32Forest in theScottish Highlands (fromForest)
Image 33Broadleaf forest inBhutan (fromForest)
Image 34Conifers in theSwabian alps (fromTree)
Image 35A forest nearVinitsa,North Macedonia (fromForest)
Image 36Wind dispersed seed of elm (Ulmus), ash (Fraxinus) and maple (Acer) (fromTree)
Image 374000 years oldCypress of Abarqu is the oldest tree in Iran and the second oldest tree in the world. (fromList of trees of Iran)
Image 38Since the 13th century, theNiepołomice Forest inPoland has had special use and protection. In this view from space, different coloration can indicate different functions. (fromForest)
Image 39Alnus glutinosa (fromList of trees of Great Britain and Ireland)
Image 40Proportion and distribution of global forest area by climatic domain, 2020 (fromForest)
Image 41Trees in art:Weeping Willow,Claude Monet, 1918 (fromTree)
Image 42Form, leaves and reproductive structures of queen sago,Cycas circinalis (fromTree)
Image 43Tallherbaceous monocotyledonous plants such as banana lack secondary growth, but are trees under the broadest definition. (fromTree)
Image 44A section ofyew (Taxus baccata) showing 27 annual growth rings, palesapwood and darkheartwood (fromTree)
Image 45Latex collecting from arubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) (fromTree)
Image 46Rowan tree inWicklow, Ireland (fromList of trees of Great Britain and Ireland)
Image 47Fraxinus excelsior (fromList of trees of Great Britain and Ireland)
Image 48Buds, leaves, flowers and fruit of pedunculate oak,Quercus robur (fromTree)
Image 49TheGeneral Sherman Tree, thought to be the world's largest by volume (fromTree)
Image 50European larch (Larix decidua), aconiferous tree which is also deciduous (fromTree)
Image 51Northern beech (Fagus sylvatica) trunk in autumn (fromTree)
Image 52LatvianPine Forest inĶegums Municipality (fromForest)
Image 53Olive trees in Pakistan (fromTrees of Pakistan)
Image 54Temperate rainforest in Tasmania'sHellyer Gorge (fromForest)
Image 55Malus sylvestris (fromList of trees of Great Britain and Ireland)
Image 56Informal upright style ofbonsai on ajuniper tree (fromTree)