How to Plant Trees in the City: It’s Complicated
Trees in cities have the ability to sequester carbon, provide shade, and mitigate flooding. But no one tree fits all environments.
Will We Lose Fall Foliage to Climate Change?
The brilliant hues of autumn are created by a variety of factors that shift year by year. A warming planet is already one of them.
What Does a Tree See?
A hundred-year-old red oak in a Massachusetts forest told a writer and a team of scientists secrets about change over time.
Climate Change’s Dangerous Effects on the Boreal Forest
The forest's unique ecosystem protects the world's largest carbon sink—the Earth's permafrost layer. But for how much longer?
Could More Urban Trees Mitigate Runoff and Flooding?
With climate change comes more flooding. As cities confront the risks and potential damages, trees could become even more important.
Plant of the Month: Cork
Why is cork so strongly associated with bottle stoppers? The answer goes back centuries.
Tree Bark and Fire
A tree's hard outer bark helps it survive. Studying why it's thicker on some trees than others could help scientists understand how to protect them.
How Tree Ring Records Can Help Predict Droughts
Inside the trunks of trees lies a wealth of data on climate that goes back generations.
Is Your Favorite Tree an Invasive Species?
Some superstar trees in the US are actually invasive to their ecosystems. Blossoming cherry trees, for example.
What Happens to a Tree When It Dies?
Decomposing trees on the forest floor become "dead wood"—a part of ecosystems that researchers are only beginning to understand.