Trees
This Massive New Guidebook Will Forever Change the Way You Look at Trees
Written by Smithsonian botanist W. John Kress, the book details more than 300 North American tree species in words, maps and photographs—and why we shouldn't take them for granted
Honor the Natural Beauty of These Tremendous Trees With 15 Photographs From the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest
Find your inner Lorax and enjoy the glory of the forest and the trees in these submissions
Invasive 'ManhattAnts' Are Taking Over New York City and Spreading Quickly
Since appearing on Manhattan in 2011, the species has become one of the island's most dominant ants, and scientists formally identified it this year
One Year After a Devastating Fire, Lahaina's 151-Year-Old Banyan Tree Is Healing
Arborists didn't know if the historic tree would survive, but they've been working to give it the best possible odds
Why Are Giant, Ancient Tropical Trees Dying?
Scientists from an international project are racing to figure out what kills these anchors of their ecosystems—before it's too late to save them
The 'World's Loneliest Plant' Could Soon Find a Mate With a Little Help From A.I.
The only known wild Wood's cycad was discovered in 1895, and it has since been cloned into many male trees. Now, researchers are scouring a forest in South Africa for an elusive female specimen
How Researchers Solved the Mystery of This 2,000-Year-Old Shipwreck
A new analysis of nuts, timber and other items found onboard the Kyrenia shipwreck is shedding new light on the vessel's timeline
Why Do Trees Drop So Many Seeds One Year, and Then Hardly Any the Next?
A new paper suggests that plants may use slow seed years to prevent the spread of disease
Scientists Uncover the Ancient Origins of Baobab Trees in Genetic Study
The trees originated in Madagascar 21 million years ago but later traveled long distances by way of ocean currents, according to new research
Last Year, the Northern Hemisphere Had Its Hottest Summer in 2,000 Years
Researchers used tree ring data to compare temperatures from as far back as 1 C.E. to 2023 temperatures
Behold 15 Beautiful Photos of Cherry Blossoms in Bloom
These 15 picture-perfect cherry blossom images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest are pretty in pink
Endangered Woodpeckers Find a New Home on a Military Training Ground
The red-cockaded woodpecker has lost nearly all of its habitat in the southeastern United States, but an Air Force range in Florida is part of an emerging initiative to relocate besieged species on protected land
Someone Vandalized Banksy's New Mural in London. Now, It's Been Covered Up
The coverings were added to protect the art, but critics worry they detract from the artist's intentions
How Rapa Nui Lost a Tree, Only to Have It Sprout Up Elsewhere
Before the toromiro disappeared from the island, at least two men grabbed seeds from the last remaining plant and brought them home
158 Cherry Blossom Trees Will Be Cut Down in D.C. in Effort to Withstand Sea-Level Rise
The National Park Service's restoration project will reconstruct a protective seawall and plant 274 new cherry blossoms when work is complete
New Banksy Mural Appears on a Building in London
Located on a wall behind a bare tree, the work features towering streaks of green meant to look like foliage
In Minnesota, Researchers Are Moving Trees Farther North to Save Forests
As the world warms, trees in such forests will no longer be adapted to their local climates. That's where assisted migration comes in
This Is When Washington, D.C.'s Cherry Trees Are Predicted to Bloom This Year
"Peak bloom," which typically falls in late March or early April, refers to the day when at least 70 percent of the trees have blossomed
How Ancient Texts Can Shed Light on Auroras
Documenting episodes of the phenomenon thousands of years ago may help us predict damaging solar storms in the future
Rare Fossil Shows Trees Looked Very Different 350 Million Years Ago
The newly discovered specimen looks like something from the imagination of Dr. Seuss, and it sheds light on a little-understood era of prehistory
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