Tree Facts

Tree Facts

Thursday, 18 June 2009 15:46

Britains oldest tree is probably the Forthingall Yew in Tayside, which is believed to be over 3000 years old.
A fully-grown Oak in the UK grows, and sheds 250,000 leaves every year and produces around 50,000 acorns in good year.
Britain is thought to have the largest population of 'ancient trees' in Europe.
Tree rings can provide precise information about environmental events. Dendrochronology is the science of dating trees from their rings.
A healthy mature Birch tree can produce up to 1 million seeds in a good year.
Broad-leaved trees change colour in the autumn because the green chlorophyll in leaves breaks down and is reabsorbed by the tree, prior to leaf shed.
Butterflies have often adapted to living in managed woodland. In parts of England, the Fritillary butterflies have become associated with man-made coppice systems.
The world's rarest trees are endemics of remote islands, some only known from single wild specimens, such as the St Helena Olive. Britains own endemic trees include Bristol Whitebeam which only grows naturally in the Avon Gorge.
Yew leaves may help in treatment of cancer. A drug called Taxol can be produced from them.
Tree fruits are designed to be dispersed, so many berries are red, as this is a preferred food colour of birds.
The height above sea-level at which trees cannot grow is called the treeline. This changes with latitude and in the Alps is approximately 7000ft, whilst in North Wales it is 1820ft.
The largest individual in the world is the Giant Redwood called the 'General Sherman', which has a height of about 275ft, a girth of 25ft and a volume of 52,500 cubic feet.
The world's tallest tree is a Coast Redwood in California at 360ft.
The world's oldest trees are Bristlecone Pines in the USA, with confirmed ages of up to 4600 years old.
Two mature trees provide enough oxygen for a family of four.
Hospital patients heal faster, require shorter stays and less medication if rooms face trees.
Tree bark and fruit have many medical properties, which are still being discovered.
Trees are the longest living and largest living organisms.

Comments (2)

Birch Sap is also known to have cancer healing properties

Some truly incredible facts there.

Some of which point me to a quesiton why are we not using this knowledge in more effecient ways.

These 3 could certainly help;
Two mature trees provide enough oxygen for a family of four.
Hospital patients heal faster, require shorter stays and less medication if rooms face trees.
Tree bark and fruit have many medical properties, which are still being discovered.