Tree 30579 225718007 2008-07-15T01:45:26Z Rodii 156996 /* Classification */ copyedit {{pp-semi-protected|small=yes}} {{otheruse}} [[Image:Coastal_redwood.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The [[conifer]]ous [[Sequoia|Coast Redwood]] is the tallest tree species on earth.]] [[Image:Redwood M D Vaden.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Trunk base of a [[Sequoia | Coast Redwood]] tree in [[Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park]]: Simpson Reed Discovery Trail, near [[Crescent City, California]]]] A '''tree''' is a [[perennial plant|perennial]] [[woody plant]]. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or [[trunk (botany)|trunk]] with clear [[apical dominance]].<ref name=rhs>Huxley, A., ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary of Gardening''. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.</ref> A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3&nbsp;[[metre|m]]<ref name=rushforth>Rushforth, K. (1999). ''Trees of Britain and Europe''. Collins ISBN 0-00-220013-9.</ref> to 6&nbsp;m;<ref name=afm>Mitchell, A. F. (1974). ''A Field Guide to the Trees of Britain and Northern Europe''. Collins ISBN 0-00-212035-6</ref> some authors set a minimum of 10&nbsp;cm trunk diameter (30&nbsp;cm girth).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://home.att.net/~spiderhunters/attachments/trintro.rtf |title=''Field Guide to Indian Trees'', introductory chapter: Introduction to Common Indian Trees |accessdate=2007-07-25 |format=RTF |author=Utkarsh Ghate}}</ref> Woody plants that do not meet these definitions by having multiple stems and/or small size, are called [[shrub]]s. Compared with most other plants, trees are long-lived, some of them getting to be several thousand years old and growing to up to 115&nbsp;m (375&nbsp;ft) high.<ref name=sequoia>Gymnosperm Database: [http://www.conifers.org/cu/se/index.htm ''Sequoia sempervirens'']</ref> Trees are an important component of the [[natural landscape]] because of their prevention of [[erosion]] and the provision of a specific weather-sheltered [[ecosystem]] in and under their [[Leaf|foliage]]. Trees have also been found to play an important role in producing [[oxygen]] and reducing [[carbon dioxide]] in the atmosphere, as well as moderating ground temperatures. They are also significant elements in [[Landscape architecture|landscaping]] and [[agriculture]], both for their [[aesthetics|aesthetic]] appeal and their [[orchard]] crops (such as [[apple]]s). [[Wood]] from trees is a common [[building material]]. Trees also play an intimate role in many of the world's [[mythology|mythologies]] (see [[trees in mythology]]). ==Classification== [[Image:TicinoTree.jpg|left|thumb|A [[Sweet Chestnut]] tree in [[Ticino]], [[Switzerland]]]] A tree is a plant form that occurs in many different [[order (biology)|orders]] and [[family (biology)|families]] of plants. Trees show a wide variety of [[growth form]]s, leaf type and shape, bark characteristics, and reproductive organs. The tree form has evolved separately in unrelated classes of plants, in response to similar environmental challenges, making it a classic example of [[parallel evolution]]. With an estimate of 100,000 tree [[species]], the number of tree species worldwide might total 25 percent of all living [[plant]] species.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.talkbx.com/2008/05/02/scientists-to-capture-tree-dna-worldwide/#more-835 |title=TreeBOL project |accessdate=2008-07-11}}</ref> The majority of tree species grow in [[tropical]] regions of the world and many of these areas have not been surveyed yet by [[botanist]]s, making species diversity and ranges poorly understood.<ref>Friis, Ib, and Henrik Balslev. 2005. ''Plant diversity and complexity patterns: local, regional, and global dimensions : proceedings of an international symposium held at the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters in Copenhagen, Denmark, 25-28 May, 2003.'' Biologiske skrifter, 55. Copenhagen: Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters. pp 57-59.</ref> The earliest trees were [[tree fern]]s and [[horsetail]]s, which grew in vast [[forest]]s in the [[Carboniferous]] Period; tree ferns still survive, but the only surviving horsetails are not of tree form. Later, in the [[Triassic]] Period, [[Pinophyta|conifers]], [[ginkgo]]s, [[cycad]]s and other [[gymnosperm]]s appeared, and subsequently [[flowering plant]]s in the [[Cretaceous]] Period. Most species of trees today are flowering plants ([[Angiosperms]]) and conifers. The listing below gives examples of many well-known trees and how they are typically classified. A small group of trees growing together is called a [[grove (nature)|grove]] or '''copse''', and a landscape covered by a dense growth of trees is called a '''[[forest]]'''. Several [[biotope]]s are defined largely by the trees that inhabit them; examples are [[rainforest]] and [[taiga]] (see [[ecozone]]s). A landscape of trees scattered or spaced across grassland (usually grazed or burned over periodically) is called a '''[[savanna]]'''. A forest of great age is called '''[[old growth forest]]''' or '''[[ancient woodland]]''' (in the UK). A young tree is called a sapling. ==Morphology== [[Image:Leavessnipedale.jpg||thumb|right|Leaves are an important feature of trees. These are [[beech]] leaves.]] [[Image:WisconsinScenery.jpg|right|thumb|Tree [[root]]s anchor the structure and provide [[water]] and [[nutrients]]. The ground has [[erosion|eroded]] away around the roots of this young [[pine]] tree.]] The basic parts of a tree are the [[root]]s, [[trunk (botany)|trunk]](s), [[branch]]es, [[twig]]s and [[leaf|leaves]]. Tree stems consist mainly of support and transport tissues ([[xylem]] and [[phloem]]). [[Wood]] consists of ''xylem'' cells, and [[bark]] is made of ''phloem'' and other tissues external to the vascular cambium. Trees may be broadly grouped into ''exogenous'' and ''endogenous'' trees according to the way in which their [[plant stem|stem]] diameter increases. Exogenous trees, which comprise the great majority of trees (all [[Pinophyta|conifer]]s, and almost all [[dicotyledon|broadleaf]] trees), grow by the addition of new wood outwards, immediately under the bark. Endogenous trees, mainly in the [[monocotyledon]]s (e.g., [[Arecaceae|palms]] and [[Dracaena (plant)|dragon trees]]), but also [[cactus|cacti]], grow by addition of new material inwards. As an exogenous tree grows, it creates [[growth ring]]s as new wood is laid down concentrically over the old wood. In species growing in areas with seasonal climate changes, wood growth produced at different times of the year may be visible as alternating light and dark, or soft and hard, rings of wood.<ref name=afm/> In temperate climates, and tropical climates with a single wet-dry season alternation, the growth rings are annual, each pair of light and dark rings being one year of growth; these are known as annual rings. In areas with two wet and dry seasons each year, there may be two pairs of light and dark rings each year; and in some (mainly semi-desert regions with irregular rainfall), there may be a new growth ring with each rainfall.<ref name=mirov>Mirov, N. T. (1967). ''The Genus Pinus''. Ronald Press.</ref> In tropical [[rainforest]] regions with constant year-round climate, growth is continuous and the growth rings are not visible with no change in the wood texture. In species with annual rings, these rings can be counted to determine the age of the tree, and used to date cores or even wood taken from trees in the past, a practice is known as the science of [[dendrochronology]]. Very few tropical trees can be accurately aged in this manner. Age determination is also impossible in endogenous trees. The [[root]]s of a tree are generally embedded in earth, providing anchorage for the above-ground [[Biomass (ecology)|biomass]] and absorbing [[water]] and [[nutrients]] from the [[soil]]. It should be noted, however, that while ground nutrients are essential to a tree's growth the majority of its biomass comes from carbon dioxide absorbed from the atmosphere (see [[photosynthesis]]). Above ground, the trunk gives height to the leaf-bearing branches, aiding in competition with other plant species for [[sunlight]]. In many trees, the arrangement of the branches optimizes exposure of the leaves to sunlight. Not all trees have all the plant organs or parts mentioned above. For example, most palm trees are not branched, the [[Saguaro|saguaro cactus]] of North America has no functional leaves, [[tree fern]]s do not produce bark, etc. Based on their general shape and size, all of these are nonetheless generally regarded as trees. Sometimes size is the most important consideration. A plant form that is similar to a tree, but generally having smaller, multiple trunks and/or branches that arise near the ground, is called a [[shrub]]. However, no precise differentiation between shrubs and trees is possible. Given their small size, [[bonsai]] plants would not technically be 'trees', but one should not confuse reference to the form of a species with the size or shape of individual specimens. A spruce seedling does not fit the definition of a tree, but all spruces are trees. ==Record breaking trees== The world's champion trees can be considered on several factors; height, trunk diameter or girth, total size, and age. It is significant that in each case, the top position is always held by a [[Pinophyta|conifer]], though a different species in each case; in most measures, the second to fourth places are also held by conifers. ===Tallest trees=== The heights of the tallest trees in the world have been the subject of considerable dispute and much (often wild) exaggeration. Modern verified measurement with [[laser]] rangefinders combined with tape drop measurements made by tree climbers, carried out by the [http://www.nativetreesociety.org/ U.S. Eastern Native Tree Society] has shown that most older measuring methods and measurements are unreliable, often producing exaggerations of 5% to 15% above the real height. Historical claims of trees of {{m to ft|117|precision=0|abbr=yes}}, {{m to ft|130|precision=0|abbr=yes}}, and even {{m to ft|150|precision=0|abbr=yes}}, are now largely disregarded as unreliable, fantasy or outright fraud (however, see "Tallest specimens" chapter in ''[[Eucalyptus regnans]]'' article). The following are now accepted as the top five tallest reliably measured species: #[[Sequoia|Coast Redwood]] ''Sequoia sempervirens'': '''115.55&nbsp;m''' '''(379.1&nbsp;ft)''', [[Redwood National Park]], [[California]], [[United States]]<ref name=Sequoia_sempervirens>{{cite web |url=http://www.conifers.org/cu/se/index.htm |title=Gymnosperm Database: ''Sequoia sempervirens'' |accessdate=2007-06-10 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote=Hyperion, Redwood National Park, CA, 115.55 m}}</ref> #[[Coast Douglas-fir]] ''Pseudotsuga menziesii'': '''{{m to ft|99.4|precision=1|abbr=yes}}''', Brummit Creek, [[Coos County, Oregon|Coos County]], [[Oregon]], United States<ref name=Pseudotsuga_menziesii>{{cite web |url=http://www.conifers.org/pi/ps/menziesii2.htm |title=Gymnosperm Database: ''Pseudotsuga menziesii'' |accessdate=2007-06-10 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote=The Brummit Fir: Height 99.4 m, dbh 354 cm, on E. Fork Brummit Creek in Coos County, Oregon; in 1998}}</ref> #[[Eucalyptus regnans|Australian Mountain-ash]] ''Eucalyptus regnans'': '''{{m to ft|97.0|precision=1|abbr=yes}}''', Styx Valley, [[Tasmania]], [[Australia]]<ref name=Eucalyptus_regnans>{{cite web |url=http://www.gianttrees.com.au/tall.htm |title=Ten Tallest Trees (of Tasmania) |accessdate=2007-06-10 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Tasmanian Giant Trees |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= Height (m): 97; Diameter (cm): 290; Volume (m³): 164; Species: E.regnans; Tree identification: TT326; Name: Icarus Dream; Location: Andromeda; Year last measured: 2005}}</ref> #[[Sitka Spruce]] ''Picea sitchensis'': '''{{m to ft|96.7|precision=1|abbr=yes}}''', [[Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park]], California, United States<ref name=Picea_sitchensis>{{cite web |url=http://www.conifers.org/pi/pic/sitchensis.htm |title=Gymnosperm Database: ''Picea sitchensis'' |accessdate=2007-06-10 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote=This tree also has a sign nearby proclaiming it to be 'the world's largest spruce'. The two tallest on record, 96.7 m and 96.4 m, are in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California}}</ref> #[[Sequoiadendron|Giant Sequoia]] ''Sequoiadendron giganteum'': '''{{m to ft|94.9|precision=1|abbr=yes}}''', [[Redwood Mountain Grove]], [[Kings Canyon National Park]], California, United States<ref name=Sequoiadendron_giganteum>{{cite web |url=http://www.conifers.org/cu/se2/index.htm |title=Gymnosperm Database: ''Sequoiadendron giganteum'' |accessdate=2007-06-10 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote=The tallest known giant sequoia is a specimen 94.9 m tall, first measured August 1998 in the Redwood Mountain Grove, California}}</ref> [[Image:Sweet Chestnut Forest.jpg|thumb|A view of a tree from below; this may exaggerate apparent height]] ===Stoutest trees=== The girth ([[circumference]]) of a tree is much easier to measure than the height, as it is a simple matter of stretching a tape round the trunk, and pulling it taut to find the circumference. Despite this, UK tree author [[Alan Mitchell]] made the following comment about measurements of [[Taxus baccata|yew]] trees in a handbook "Conifers in the British Isles": :"The aberrations of past measurements of yews are beyond belief. For example, the tree at Tisbury has a well-defined, clean, if irregular bole at least 1.5&nbsp;m long. It has been found to have a girth which has dilated and shrunk in the following way: 11.28 m (1834 Loudon), 9.3&nbsp;m (1892 Lowe), 10.67&nbsp;m (1903 Elwes and Henry), 9.0 m (1924 E. Swanton), 9.45&nbsp;m (1959 Mitchell) .... Earlier measurements have therefore been omitted."<ref name=afm2>Mitchell, A. F. (1972). ''Conifers in the British Isles''. Forestry Commission Booklet 33.</ref> As a general standard, tree girth is taken at 'breast height'; this is defined differently in different situations, with most [[forestry]] measurements taking girth at 1.3 m above ground,<ref name=hamilton>Hamilton, G. J. (1975). ''Forest Mensuration Handbook''. Forestry Commission Booklet 39. ISBN 0-11-710023-4.</ref> while those who measure [[ornamental plant|ornamental trees]] usually measure at 1.5 m above ground;<ref name=afm/> in most cases this makes little difference to the measured girth. On sloping ground, the "above ground" reference point is usually taken as the highest point on the ground touching the trunk,<ref name=afm/><ref name=hamilton/> but some use the average between the highest and lowest points of ground{{Fact|date=October 2007}}. Some of the inflated old measurements may have been taken at ground level. Some past exaggerated measurements also result from measuring the complete next-to-bark measurement, pushing the tape in and out over every crevice and buttress.<ref name=afm2/> Modern trends are to cite the tree's [[diameter]] rather than the circumference; this is obtained by dividing the measured circumference by [[pi|π]]; it assumes the trunk is circular in cross-section (an oval or irregular cross-section would result in a mean diameter slightly greater than the assumed circle). This is cited as '''dbh''' ([[diameter at breast height]]) in tree and forestry literature.<ref name=afm/><ref name=hamilton/> A further problem with measuring [[baobab]]s ''Adansonia'' is that these trees store large amounts of [[water]] in the very soft wood in their trunks. This leads to marked variation in their girth over the year, swelling to a maximum at the end of the rainy season, minimum at the end of the dry season. Although baobabs have some of the highest girth measurements of any trees, no accurate measurements are currently available, but probably do not exceed 10-11 m (33–36&nbsp;ft) diameter. The stoutest living single-trunk species in diameter, excluding baobabs, are: #[[Taxodium mucronatum|Montezuma Cypress]] ''Taxodium mucronatum'': '''{{m to ft|11.62|precision=1|abbr=yes}}''', [[Árbol del Tule]], Santa Maria del Tule, Oaxaca, Mexico.<ref name=taxodium>Gymnosperm Database: [http://www.conifers.org/cu/tax/mucronatum.htm ''Taxodium mucronatum'']</ref> Note though that this diameter includes buttressing; the actual idealised diameter of the area of its wood is {{m to ft|9.38|precision=1|abbr=yes}}.<ref name=taxodium/> #[[Sequoiadendron|Giant Sequoia]] ''Sequoiadendron giganteum'': '''{{m to ft|8.85|precision=1|abbr=yes}}''', [[General Grant tree]], [[Grant Grove]], California, United States<ref name=Sequoiadendron_giganteum2>{{cite web |url=http://www.conifers.org/cu/se2/index.htm |title=Gymnosperm Database: ''Sequoiadendron giganteum'' |accessdate=2007-06-10 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote=the General Grant tree in Kings Canyon National Park, CA, which is 885 cm dbh and 81.1 m tall}}</ref> #[[Sequoia|Coast Redwood]] ''Sequoia sempervirens'': '''{{m to ft|7.44|precision=1|abbr=yes}}''', Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California, United States.<!--<ref>{{cite web |url= |title= |accessdate=2007-06-10 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }}</ref>([http://www.conifers.org/cu/se/index.htm Gymnosperm Database]) This source does not have this information. New source needed. Therefore...-->{{Fact|date=June 2007}}<br> [[Charles Darwin]] reported finding ''[[Fitzroya|Fitzroya cupressoides]]'' with trunk circumferences of up to 40 m (130&nbsp;ft)<ref name=fitzroya>Gymnosperm Database: [http://www.conifers.org/cu/fi/index.htm ''Fitzroya'']</ref> implying a diameter of about 12 m (40&nbsp;ft), but this may be an anomaly as the largest known measurements are about 5 m.<ref name=golte>Golte, W. (1996). Exploitation and conservation of Fitzroya cupressoides in southern Chile. Pp. 133–150 in: Hunt, D., ed. ''Temperate Trees under Threat''. International Dendrology Society ISBN 0-9504544-6-X.</ref> An addition problem lies in cases where multiple trunks (whether from an individual tree or multiple trees) grow together. The [[Sacred Fig]] is a notable example of this, forming additional 'trunks' by growing adventitious roots down from the branches, which then thicken up when the root reaches the ground to form new trunks; a single Sacred Fig tree can have hundreds of such trunks.<ref name=rhs/> Occasionally, errors may occur due to confusion between girth ([[circumference]]) and [[diameter]].<ref name=nordmanniana>See e.g. the uncertainty over the size of the largest ''Abies nordmanniana'' at the Gymnosperm Database: [http://www.conifers.org/pi/ab/nordmanniana.htm ''Abies nordmanniana''] page</ref> ===Largest trees=== The largest trees in total [[volume]] are those which are both tall and of large diameter, and in particular, which hold a large diameter high up the trunk. Measurement is very complex, particularly if branch volume is to be included as well as the trunk volume, so measurements have only been made for a small number of trees, and generally only for the trunk. No attempt has ever been made to include [[root]] volume. Measuring standards vary (for example, Del Norte Titan below, is listed as the largest coastal redwood, but the [[Lost Monarch (tree) | Lost Monarch]] in [[Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park]] is even larger at over 42,000 cubic feet). The top four species measured<ref name=TopVolume>{{cite web |url=http://www.conifers.org/topics/biggest.htm |title=Gymnosperm Database: A Tale of Big Tree Hunting In California |accessdate=2007-06-10 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote=''Sequoiadendron giganteum'' is 1489 m³, ''Sequoia sempervirens'' 1045 m³, ''Thuja plicata'' 500 m³, ''Agathis australis'' ca. 400 m³}}</ref> so far are: #[[Sequoiadendron|Giant Sequoia]] ''Sequoiadendron giganteum'': '''1,489&nbsp;m³''' (55,040&nbsp;cu&nbsp;ft), [[General Sherman (tree)|General Sherman]]<ref name=TopVolume/> #[[Sequoia|Coast Redwood]] ''Sequoia sempervirens'': '''1,045&nbsp;m³''' (36,890&nbsp;cu&nbsp;ft), Del Norte Titan tree<ref name=TopVolume/> #[[Thuja plicata|Western Redcedar]] ''Thuja plicata'': '''500&nbsp;m³''' (17,650&nbsp;cu&nbsp;ft ), [[:Image:QuinaultLakeCedar 7274c.jpg|Quinault Lake Redcedar]]<ref name=TopVolume/> #[[Agathis australis|Kauri]] ''Agathis australis'': circa '''400&nbsp;m³''' (15,000&nbsp;cu&nbsp;ft), [[Tane Mahuta]] tree<ref name=TopVolume/> (total volume, including branches, 516.7&nbsp;m³/18,247&nbsp;cu&nbsp;ft)<ref name=TopVolume/> However, the [[Fitzroya|Alerce]] ''Fitzroya cupressoides'', as yet un-measured, may well slot in at third or fourth place, and [[Taxodium mucronatum|Montezuma Cypress]] ''Taxodium mucronatum'' and other giants are also likely to be high in the list. The largest [[angiosperm]] tree is a [[Eucalyptus regnans|Australian Mountain-ash]] (''Eucalyptus regnans'') in [[Tasmania]], known as the 'Two Towers' tree, with a volume of 430 m³ (15,185&nbsp;cu&nbsp;ft).<ref name=Two_towers>{{cite web |url=http://www.gianttrees.com.au/massive.htm |title=Tasmania's ten most massive giants |accessdate=2007-06-10 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Tasmanian Giant Trees |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= Height (m): 75; Diameter (cm): 580; Volume (m³): 430; Species: E.regnans; Tree identification: TT38; Name:Two Towers; Location: Jacques Road; Year last measured: 2006}}</ref> ===Oldest trees=== The [[list of long-living organisms|oldest]] trees are determined by [[Dendrochronology|growth rings]], which can be seen if the tree is cut down or in cores taken from the edge to the center of the tree. Accurate determination is only possible for trees which produce growth rings, generally those which occur in seasonal climates; trees in uniform non-seasonal tropical climates grow continuously and do not have distinct growth rings. It is also only possible for trees which are solid to the center of the tree; many very old trees become hollow as the dead [[Wood#Heartwood and sapwood|heartwood]] decays away. For some of these species, age estimates have been made on the basis of extrapolating current growth rates, but the results are usually little better than guesswork or wild speculation. White (1998)<ref> White, J. (1990). ''Estimating the Age of Large and Veteran Trees in Britain''. [[Forestry Commission]] Edinburgh. </ref> proposes a method of estimating the age of large and veteran trees in the [[United Kingdom]] through the correlation between a tree's stem diameter, growth character and age. The verified oldest measured ages are: #[[Norway Spruce]] ''Picea abies'': 9,550 years<ref>[http://www.info.umu.se/NYHETER/PressmeddelandeEng.aspx?id=3061 Umeå University Press Release: World’s oldest living tree discovered in Sweden]. April 16, 2008.</ref> #[[Great Basin Bristlecone Pine]] ([[Methuselah (tree)|Methuselah]]) ''Pinus longaeva'': 4,844 years<ref name="Gymnosperm_oldest">[http://www.conifers.org/topics/oldest.htm Gymnosperm Database: How Old Is That Tree?]. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.</ref> #[[Fitzroya|Alerce]] ''Fitzroya cupressoides'': 3,622 years<ref name="Gymnosperm_oldest"/> #[[Sequoiadendron|Giant Sequoia]] ''Sequoiadendron giganteum'': 3,266 years<ref name="Gymnosperm_oldest"/> #[[Lagarostrobos|Huon-pine]] ''Lagarostrobos franklinii'': 2,500 years<ref name="Gymnosperm_oldest"/> #[[Rocky Mountains Bristlecone Pine]] ''Pinus aristata'': 2,435 years<ref name="Gymnosperm_oldest"/> Other species suspected of reaching exceptional age include [[Taxus baccata|European Yew]] ''Taxus baccata'' (probably over 2,000 years<ref>Harte, J. (1996). How old is that old yew? ''At the Edge'' 4: 1-9. Available [http://www.indigogroup.co.uk/edge/oldyews.htm online]</ref><ref>Kinmonth, F. (2006). Ageing the yew - no core, no curve? ''International Dendrology Society Yearbook'' 2005: 41-46 [[ISSN]] 0307-332X</ref>) and [[Thuja plicata|Western Redcedar]] ''Thuja plicata''. The oldest reported age for an angiosperm tree is 2293 years for the [[Sri Maha Bodhi]] [[Sacred Fig]] (''Ficus religiosa'') planted in [[288 BC]] at [[Anuradhapura]], [[Sri Lanka]]; this is also the oldest human-planted tree with a known planting date. ==Trees in culture== {{main|Tree (mythology)}} The tree has been and still is a popular cultural symbol in most of the world. Common icons are the [[World tree]], for instance [[Yggdrasil]], and the [[tree of life]]. The tree often represents nature or the environment itself. ==See also== {{mergefrom|Exploding tree|date= February 2008}} {{multicol}} *[[Arboretum]] *[[Arboriculture]] *[[Arborsculpture]] *[[Christmas tree]] *[[Deforestation]] *[[Dendrology]] *[[Exploding tree]] *[[Fruit trees]] {{multicol-break}} *[[List of famous trees]] *[[List of major tree genera]] *[[Mother of the Forest]] *[[Plantation]] *[[Tree climbing]] *[[Tree line]] *[[Trees of the world]] *[[Urban forestry]] *[[Woodland management]] {{multicol-end}} ==References== {{Reflist|2}} ==Bibliography== <div class="references-small"> *[[Thomas Pakenham|Pakenham, T.]] (2002). ''Remarkable Trees of the World''. ISBN 0-297-84300-1 *Pakenham, T. (1996). ''Meetings with Remarkable Trees''. ISBN 0-297-83255-7 *[[Colin Tudge|Tudge, C]]. (2005). ''The Secret Life of Trees. How They Live and Why They Matter''. Allen Lane. London. ISBN 0-713-99698-6 </div> ==External links== {{commons|Trees}} {{wiktionarypar|tree}} *[http://www.globaltrees.org/default.asp Global Trees Campaign (campaigning to save the world's most threatened trees)] *[http://www.isa-arbor.com/ International Society of Arboriculture] *[http://www.arborday.org/ The Arbor Day Foundation] [[Category:Forestry]] [[Category:Trees| ]] [[Category:Plant morphology]] {{Link FA|he}} [[af:Boom]] [[ar:شجرة]] [[ay:Quqa]] [[az:Ağac]] [[bm:Yiri]] [[zh-min-nan:Chhiū]] [[bar:Bam]] [[bo:ཥིང་ཏོང་]] [[bs:Drvo]] [[bg:Дърво]] [[ca:Arbre]] [[cv:Йывăç]] [[cs:Strom]] [[cy:Coeden]] [[da:Træ (organisme)]] [[de:Baum]] [[et:Puu]] [[myv:Чувтт]] [[es:Árbol]] [[eo:Arbo]] [[eu:Zuhaitz]] [[fa:درخت]] [[fr:Arbre]] [[gan:樹]] [[gd:Craobh]] [[gl:Árbore]] [[ko:나무]] [[hr:Stablo]] [[io:Arboro]] [[id:Pohon]] [[os:Бæлас]] [[is:Tré]] [[it:Albero (botanica)]] [[he:עץ]] [[jv:Wit]] [[kk:Ағаш]] [[ht:Pyebwa]] [[la:Arbor]] [[lt:Medis]] [[hu:Fa]] [[ms:Pokok]] [[nah:Cuahuitl]] [[nl:Boom (plant)]] [[cr:ᒥᔥᑎᒄ]] [[ja:木]] [[no:Tre]] [[nn:Tre]] [[nrm:Bouais]] [[oc:Arbre]] [[nds:Boom]] [[pl:Drzewo]] [[pt:Árvore]] [[ro:Arbore]] [[qu:Sach'a]] [[ru:Дерево]] [[scn:Àrvulu]] [[simple:Tree]] [[sk:Strom]] [[sl:Drevo]] [[sr:Дрво]] [[su:Tangkal]] [[fi:Puu]] [[sv:Träd]] [[ta:மரம்]] [[te:చెట్టు]] [[th:ต้นไม้]] [[chr:ᏡᎬᎢ]] [[tr:Ağaç]] [[uk:Дерево]] [[vec:Àlbaro]] [[yi:בוים]] [[zh-yue:樹]] [[bat-smg:Medis]] [[zh:树]]