Did You Know?

Tree Fun Facts: Did you know??

1. No tree dies of old age. They are generally killed by insects, disease or by people. Giant Sequoias are regarded as the oldest trees and have been known to live 4,000 to 5,000 years.
2. There are about 20,000 tree species in the world. The United States has one of the largest tree treasuries second only to India.
3. The largest area of forest in the tropics remains the Amazon Basin, amounting to 81.5 million acres.
4. Arbor Day was first observed in Nebraska in 1872. That state is now home to one of the world’s largest forests planted by people – over 200,000 acres of trees.
5. Some trees can “talk” to each other. When willows are attacked by webworms and caterpillars, they emit a chemical that alerts nearby willow of the danger. The neighboring trees then respond by pumping more tannin into their leaves making it difficult for the insects to digest the leaves.
6. 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.

More Facts Worth Knowing

1. A mature, healthy tree can have a financial value of several thousand dollars, and well placed trees can raise a property value by roughly ten percent.
2. Trees grow from the top, not the bottom. A branch at a fixed height stays at that height for the life of the tree, even as the trunk grows taller above it.
3. The rings inside a trunk record each year of growth. Wide rings point to favorable years with ample water, while narrow rings mark drought or stress.
4. A single large tree can release hundreds of gallons of water vapor on a hot day through transpiration, which cools the surrounding air.
5. Roots usually spread well beyond the branch tips, and most of a tree’s absorbing roots sit in the top foot or two of soil, which is why surface compaction harms trees so easily.

A Maryland Note

The state tree of Maryland is the white oak, a long lived native that can stand for centuries and supports a remarkable range of local wildlife. Other common natives across the DMV include red maple, tulip poplar, and American sycamore. Choosing native species for new plantings gives you trees that are well suited to the local climate and soil.

Questions about a tree on your property? Call Hometown Tree Experts at 301-250-1033 for friendly, local advice and a free estimate.

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