Birthday
HydrangeasTrees outlive us, grow taller than any building in an old town and quietly shape the water and climate around them. Here are ten science-backed facts about trees, from record-breakers to why leaves turn yellow in autumn.
Living plants for your home: potted plants delivered in Kyiv.
Record-breakers
- 1. The oldest tree. A Great Basin bristlecone pine nicknamed Methuselah in California’s White Mountains is about 4,800 years old. Its exact location is kept secret to protect it.
- 2. The tallest. The coast redwood “Hyperion”, discovered in 2006, stands about 116 metres tall.
- 3. The most massive. The giant sequoia “General Sherman” is the largest single tree on Earth by volume.
- 4. The largest colony. The “Pando” aspen grove in Utah is a single plant with a shared root system and tens of thousands of stems.
How trees work
- 5. There are about three trillion trees on Earth. That estimate comes from a 2015 study combining satellite images with field counts — roughly 400 trees per person.
- 6. Age can be read in the rings. In temperate climates a tree usually adds one ring a year: pale spring wood and darker summer wood. Wide rings mark good years, narrow ones drought or cold. This is the science of dendrochronology.
- 7. Trees move huge volumes of water. Water evaporates through the leaves, and on a hot day a large tree can release more than a hundred litres into the air. That is why forests feel cooler.
- 8. Trees are linked by fungi. The roots of most trees partner with fungi (mycorrhiza). The fungi help gather water and minerals in exchange for sugars. How much trees actually share through these networks is still being studied.
Autumn and Ukraine’s ancient trees
- 9. Yellow was hidden in the leaves all summer. In autumn chlorophyll breaks down, revealing yellow and orange carotenoids. Red anthocyanins, by contrast, are newly produced by many trees such as maples.
- 10. Ukraine has ancient trees too. The best known are old oaks estimated to be several centuries old or more; many are protected as natural monuments.
Read more about giant sequoias in General Sherman, see the strangest trees in the most unusual trees in the world, and discover trees wrapped by spiders in spider web trees.
FAQ
How long do trees live?
It varies: birch usually lives up to 100–150 years, oak can live for many centuries and some conifers for thousands of years.
Can you find a tree’s age without cutting it down?
Yes. Specialists take a thin core with an increment borer, leaving a small hole that does not kill the tree.
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Author: Maria Svitlovir
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
