Did You Know? Fascinating Tree Facts!

1. No tree dies of old age. They are generally killed by insects, disease, or people. They are the longest living organisms on earth. The California Bristlecone Pines and Giant Sequoias are believed to be the oldest trees in the world; their age has been estimated at 4,000 to 5,000 years. The average tree in a metropolitan area only survives for about 8 years!
2. Some trees can “talk” to each other. When webworms and/or caterpillars attack a willow, it emits a chemical that alerts other willows nearby of the danger. The neighboring willows responds by pumping more tannin into their leaves – which makes it difficult for the insects to eat the leaves!
3. Trees can induce rainfall by cooling the land and transpiring water into the sky from their leaves. An acre of maple trees can put as much as 20,000 gallons of water into the air each day!