Blown,Beautiful,Magnolia,Flower,On,A,Tree,With,Green,Leaves.

Gymnosperms and angiosperms are two groups of plants that constitute the seed plants, sometimes referred to as “Spermatophytes”. Seed plants form the basis of pretty much every terrestrial ecosystem on earth and comprise the world’s forests, grasslands, and all of the world’s crop production. They are easily some of the most important organisms on the planet. But how do you know if a seed plant is a gymnosperm or an angiosperm? There is one major difference that separates gymnosperms from angiosperms, but there are multiple additional characteristics one can look for to distinguish them. Some gymnosperms look remarkably similar to angiosperms and vice versa, and this article serves as a guide to differentiate these two important plant types.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1891153 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/shutterstock_1096864556.jpg" alt="Gymnosperms" width="1000" height="667" />
<h2>What Is a Seed Plant?</h2>
As stated before, both gymnosperms and angiosperms are seed-bearing plants. Along with ferns and their allies, seed plants are vascular plants, which means they have xylem and phloem to transport water and nutrients. They spend most of their life in the diploid, sporophyte phase and have short-lived gametophyte phases. Seed plants comprise well over 80% of the Kingdom Plantae, but that number is mainly due to the incredible diversity of angiosperms alone. In fact, there are only about 1000 species of gymnosperms, even though they are a much older lineage of plants. 

The main distinguishing characteristic of a seed plant is right there in its name - the production of seeds. Compare this to plants that produce spores, such as ferns, lycophytes, and bryophytes. <a href="https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=B1432&amp;title=Starting%20Plants%20From%20Seed%20for%20the%20Home%20Gardener" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seeds</a> are very complex structures that are products of fertilization of an ovule by pollen. Even though gymnosperms and angiosperms are both seed plants, there are many differences between them. 

<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1891155" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/shutterstock_1688997337-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="1024" />
<h2>Pollination and Fertilization</h2>
The first big difference between gymnosperms and angiosperms has to do with their life cycle and reproduction. Although both produce gametes in the form of sperm and egg cells (both haploid structures), there are key differences in their methods of pollination and fertilization.

Gymnosperms are non-flowering plants and instead reproduce through two different unisexual <a href="https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/fun_facts_about_pine_cones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">structures called cones</a>. They produce <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-species-holds-valuable-evidence-of-plant-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pollen grains</a> in male cones which make their way to female cones, usually by the wind. Once it makes contact with the female cone, it releases sperm that either actively moves towards the egg within an ovule (part of the female cone) or arrives via a pollen tube. 

Angiosperms are commonly referred to as flowering plants because they produce flowers that help facilitate pollination. Unlike gymnosperms, angiosperms usually rely on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-plants-have-evolved-to-take-advantage-of-ant-pollination/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">animal pollinators</a> to take pollen from an anther connected to a stamen to a stigma, which forms part of the carpel. Double fertilization then takes place in the female gametophyte, also called an embryo sac. 

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1891156" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/shutterstock_1891477207-1.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="667" />
<h2>Naked Seeds vs. Fruit</h2>
The main difference between gymnosperms and angiosperms is the structure of the seed. To start, gymnosperms have naked seeds. In fact, the name “gymnosperm” comes from the words gymnos meaning “naked” and sperma meaning “seed”. Gymnosperm seeds are formed without any protective casing in a female cone, also called a strobilus. As the seeds mature, they disperse as the cones dry out and open up. 

Angiosperms produce seeds encased in an ovary which forms a fruit. The seeds of angiosperms contain an endosperm, which is usually triploid. <a href="https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/mg6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fruit are often edible</a> and make up most of the world’s crops. Many animals rely on angiosperms for food in one way or another, which is part of the reason this group of plants is so diverse. 

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1891157 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/shutterstock_1638485059.jpg" alt="Gymnosperms" width="1000" height="665" />
<h2>Leaves and Growth Forms</h2>
The main difference between most gymnosperms and angiosperms is leaf type. Gymnosperms usually have needle-like leaves and are almost always trees or other types of woody plants. Think of conifers like redwood trees (in the group Coniferophyta) which are some of the most well-known gymnosperms. Conifers are often referred to as "softwood" trees, while angiosperms are known as "hardwood" trees. This has to do with their wood density, which is usually lower in gymnosperms. Angiosperms usually have broad leaves, and take on a huge variety of forms including trees, herbs, aquatic plants, vines, and more. 

However, these differences are pretty broad generalizations and there are always exceptions. Many species of gymnosperms look far more similar to an angiosperm. For example, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-insect-pollinated-plant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cycads</a> (In the group Cycadophyta) are gymnosperms that look very much like palms. Gnetum (Gnetophyta) is a weird and unique gymnosperm that can grow as a vine and has broad leaves that look just like an angiosperm’s leaves. Welwitschia is another unique one that grows in the Namib desert and is just plain weird with two long, broad leaves. Ginkgo (Ginkgophyta) is an ancient species of tree that represents a sort of transition between needle and broad leaves. 

Some angiosperms look just like gymnosperms as well. Such examples of angiosperms include the Australian pine (Casuarina equisetifolia) and related trees. Despite its name, Australian pine is closely related to oaks, even though the foliage looks just like that of a gymnosperm. Angiosperms can be further separated into monocots and dicots, which can be distinguished by the number of cotyledons they have.

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The Definitive Field Guide to Gymnosperms and Angiosperms

Gymnosperms and angiosperms are two groups of plants that constitute...

Plants, unlike animals, can’t run or hide when predators come looking for food. Instead, many plants have evolved to be extremely poisonous. Poisonous plants have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-evolve-defenses-herbivores/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">evolved chemical defenses</a> to make their leaves unpalatable to potential herbivores. The leaves can simply taste bad, make an herbivore sick, or in extreme cases, kill them outright.

Tropical rainforests are famous for their staggering diversity, and plants are no exception. Rainforest plants have developed all sorts of chemical defenses, and many of which are so extreme they can easily kill a human! Here are 5 of the most poisonous tropical rainforest plants.

[caption id="attachment_1883511" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-1883511 size-medium" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/castor-oil-plant-5276704_1280-300x203.jpg" alt="castor bean ricinus communis poisonous plant" width="300" height="203" /> [Photo by user <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/ray_shrewsberry-7673058/">Ray_Shrewsberry</a> via <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/ray_shrewsberry-7673058/">Pixabay</a>][/caption]
<h2>Castor Bean (Ricinus communis)</h2>
Castor bean is originally from East Africa and is now a common ornamental plant that’s widespread throughout the tropics. The plant can grow to be up to 12 meters (39 feet) tall and has become naturalized around the world. As a weedy plant, it grows rapidly and is common on riverbanks and roadsides.

A common product from this plant is castor oil. The liquid is used in food production as a preservative, as well as in medicine for a variety of benefits. Castor oil is derived from the seeds which also contain one of the most deadly poisons known to man.

The toxin hidden inside castor bean seeds, called <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ricin-toxic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ricin, is notoriously dangerous</a>. If just a tiny amount is ingested, it can kill a person in a few days. Ricin can also be turned into an aerosol and inhaled. There have been a few instances in history where ricin has been used as a biological weapon, like the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/01/07/terror.poison.bulgarian/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">assassination of a journalist</a>. Any part of the plant can potentially contain ricin, so consumption of the stem, leaves, and of course the fruit, is a no-go.

[caption id="attachment_1883512" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-1883512 size-medium" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/flower-2205660_1280-300x203.jpg" alt="Yellow oleander cascabela thevetia poisonous plant" width="300" height="203" /> [Photo by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/sarangib-37542/">sarangib</a> via Pixabay][/caption]
<h2>Yellow Oleander (Cascabela thevetia)</h2>
This next poisonous plant on our list is basically the tropical counterpart to <a href="https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a532" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nerium oleander</a>, a common ornamental plant in temperate zones. Yellow oleander is also a common ornamental plant due to its bright yellow flowers, and it’s just as toxic as its close cousin.

Pretty much all parts of the plant contain milky sap, also called latex. The sticky substance quickly spills out of any wound, and easily deters anything from eating it. For some people, just touching the sap will result in a bad rash.

[caption id="attachment_1883513" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-1883513 size-medium" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/1024px-Hippomane_mancinella_fruit-300x225.jpg" alt="manchineel hippomane mancinella poisonous plant" width="300" height="225" /> [Photo by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hippomane_mancinella_(fruit).jpg">Hans Hillewaert</a> via Wikimedia Commons][/caption]
<h2>Manchineel (Hippomane mancinella)</h2>
Manchineel is a common plant that grows on beaches throughout Central and South America. It makes our list because it's one of the most poisonous plants in the world. Like yellow oleander, the entire plant contains white latex that can easily send you to the hospital if ingested. When the latex hits your skin, it’s possible to break out in blisters, similar to a bad burn.

There have even been reports of people falling victim to this tree just while standing under it in the rain. When rain falls through the canopy of manchineel, it’s possible a small amount of latex finds its way into the water. Contaminated raindrops that fall on a person have the ability to burn the person’s skin!

One of the most interesting things about this tree is that we still don’t know what many of the toxins are that make it so dangerous. Despite the toxicity of this plant, <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/what-do-marine-iguanas-eat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">iguanas</a> are known to eat the leaves and fruit, seemingly unaffected by the plant’s extreme defenses.

[caption id="attachment_1883514" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-1883514 size-medium" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/1024px-Stinging_tree-300x224.jpeg" alt="gympie gympie suicide plant dendrocnide moroides poisonous plant" width="300" height="224" /> [Photo by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Cgoodwin">Cgoodwin</a> via Wikimedia commons][/caption]
<h2>Gympie Gympie, A.K.A. The Suicide Plant (Dendrocnide moroides)</h2>
Gympie gympie is native to the tropical rainforests of Northeastern Australia and Indonesia. It’s in the same plant family as stinging nettle, Urticaceae. Gympie gympie is basically the bigger, more dangerous version of stinging nettle, and it defends itself in exactly the same way. Tiny, hollow hairs cover the leaves that, when touched, pierce the skin. The hairs break off the plant and inject a toxin underneath the skin, similar to how hypodermic needles work.

After contact with the plant, the pain that ensues is apparently one of the most excruciating experiences one can endure. Instant stinging and burning are the first two symptoms and can become more intense as time goes on. The pain of a sting can last for hours or even days.

One of the worst things about this formidable plant is that the hairs are so fine and light that they often become airborne. Floating, stinging hairs can come into contact with the skin even if you’re not right next to the plant. Worse yet, they can damage your throat and lungs if inhaled. With a name like “the suicide plant,” you should probably stay as far away as possible. But, that doesn't stop people who study this plant, who wear respirators and special rubber gloves, to work with it!

[caption id="attachment_1883515" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-1883515 size-medium" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/datura-841238_1280-300x199.jpg" alt="datura flower poisonous plants" width="300" height="199" /> [Photo by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/binghamdi-1139862/">binghamdi</a> via Pixabay][/caption]
<h2>Datura (Datura spp.)</h2>
Datura is another common ornamental plant on our list. It’s a member of the nightshade family, Solanaceae, which has some of the most toxic plants in the world. datura is probably the most infamous member of the nightshade family due to its extreme toxicity. The toxin in this plant is mostly contained in the flowers and seeds, but smaller amounts can be found in the leaves and stems. Many cultures around the world use datura as both a poison and medicine.

The alkaloids in datura have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/psychedelic-drugs-healing-powers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">psychoactive properties</a>, which many cultures have taken advantage of. Historically, people around the world used this plant in rituals to dissociate from reality and have psychedelic experiences. But, without an intimate knowledge of the plant and how to use it, it’s extremely easy to abuse Datura. Countless people have died from attempting to eat this plant as a drug in recent years.

Although the tropics contain many poisonous plants, the rainforest is an incredible place to do some plant exploration. Just don't go around eating everything you see!

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5 of the Most Poisonous Tropical Rainforest Plants

Plants, unlike animals, can’t run or hide when predators come...

Flowering trees are everywhere - on the sidewalk, in your backyard, in parks, and deep in the forest! Flowering trees are types of angiosperms, a group of plants characterized by bearing flowers and fruit. These traits are not shared by gymnosperms, which include conifer trees like pines, firs, and spruces. Angiosperms comprise nearly 80% of all known plant species, and they grow in nearly every habitat on earth. The beauty and diversity of flowering trees have made them a staple in the world of ornamental plants. Here’s how to identify 7 beautiful flowering trees.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1882139 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/southern-magnolia-775528_1280.jpg" alt="Southern magnolia flower tree" width="1280" height="960" />

[Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/jalynn-46041/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jalynn</a> via <a href="https://pixabay.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pixabay</a>]
<h2>Southern Magnolia - Magnolia grandiflora</h2>
Magnolias represent one of the most basal lineages of Angiosperms. That is, they evolved before almost all other types of flowering plants. In fact, they evolved even before bees did! But enough about the <a href="https://www.thejoyofplants.co.uk/history-plants" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">history of plants</a>, how do you identify a southern magnolia? 

All magnolias have simple, alternate leaves which are normally quite tough and leathery. They also have large, fragrant flowers that are usually white, but sometimes they are yellow, green, or pink. Native to the southern United States, southern magnolias grow to be up to 25 meters (80 feet) tall and boast one of the most beautiful, fragrant flowers of all the magnolias. The leaves of southern magnolia are evergreen, which means they stay on the tree year-round. They are very dark green and leathery, and the underside is a copper brown color due to tiny, dense hairs.



<img class="alignnone wp-image-1882140" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/witch-hazel-3137717_640.jpg" alt="witch hazel flower tree winter" width="1280" height="852" />

[Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/manfredrichter-4055600/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">manfredrichter</a> via <a href="https://pixabay.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pixabay</a>]
<h2>Witch Hazel - Hamamelis spp.</h2>
Witch hazel is one of the few flowering trees that bloom in the early winter. This unique behavior is a good way to ensure successful pollination because insects are in dire need of food, and flowers are scarce during the colder months. There are a handful of species of witch hazel that grow in North America, China, and Japan. All of them can be pretty easily identified based on the flowers, but the leaves are good indicators too.

Witch hazel is a <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/great-basin-shrub-steppe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">shrub</a> or small tree, with multiple stems at the base. It typically doesn’t grow more than 4 meters (20 feet) tall. They have simple, alternate leaves that are wider towards the tip than the base and have large teeth on the margin. The leaves are also asymmetrical at the base. Witch hazel produces striking yellow flowers in early winter. These make identification easy when all other colors in the forest are muted.
<h2><img class="alignnone wp-image-1882212 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/trees-4092265_1920.jpg" alt="cherry tree flower bloom orchard" width="1920" height="1441" /></h2>
[Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/heidelbergerin-1425977/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Heidelbergerin</a> via <a href="https://pixabay.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pixabay</a>]
<h2>Cherry Trees - Prunus spp.</h2>
Cherry trees grow throughout temperate regions of the world. They are highly regarded for their delicate, pink flowers that erupt in bloom during springtime. Their ephemeral flowers make them <a href="https://www.tripsavvy.com/japan-cherry-blossom-festivals-1550069" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">important trees in many cultures</a>. Prunus species that can be seen lining roadsides and adorning parks. Most cultivated varieties have been breed to be fruitless, saving many a sidewalk from being covered in cherry juice and the soles of many shoes from being stained.

There are loads of species and varieties of cherry trees, making species identification of the genus challenging. So, we’ll only worry about how to identify the large genus of Prunus. Leaves are simple and alternate, usually have fine teeth on the margin, and are pointed at the tip.
<h3>Cherry Blossom Breathing</h3>
Cherry trees have bark that is covered in lenticels, which are little horizontal marks that almost look like cuts. Lenticels help the tree exchange gas with the surrounding air - trees need to breathe, too! The flowers are what make cherry trees famous. In the spring, the flowers erupt and cover the tree completely in white or pink. The small flowers are clustered together in large groups and have no fragrance.
<h2><img class="alignnone wp-image-1882211 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/flamboyant-4679258_1920.jpg" alt="flamboyant flame tree flower" width="1920" height="1280" /></h2>
[Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/pisauikan-4552082/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pisauikan</a> via <a href="https://pixabay.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pixabay</a>]
<h2>Flamboyant - Delonix regia</h2>
The only legume on our list is called a flamboyant. Also known as a flame tree, or peacock flower, the tree gets its name due to its extravagant, brilliant orange-red blooms. Flamboyant is native to Madagascar but is now an ultra common tree grown in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. An interesting ecological note is that this is one of the few legumes that doesn’t associate with <a href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/biological-nitrogen-fixation-23570419/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">nitrogen-fixing bacteria</a>. 

Flamboyant has big, compound, alternate leaves that resemble a fern. The leaflets are tiny and there can be hundreds on a single leaf. The large, bright red blooms are clustered along the branches and bloom for weeks. This makes identification of this tree easy for a large part of the year. The fruits of flamboyant are typical legume fruit pods. They are big, long, and black when ripe.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1882143 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/tulip-5267294_1280.jpg" alt="tulip tree flower " width="1280" height="960" />

[Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/martin_hetto-3003735/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">martin_hetto</a> via <a href="https://pixabay.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pixabay</a>]
<h2>Tulip Tree - Liriodendron tulipifera</h2>
Unlike the name implies, the tulip tree is not actually closely related to tulips. In fact, it’s more closely related to magnolias. Tulip trees are one of the most common ornamental trees throughout <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tree-diversity-in-temperate-and-dry-forests-should-not-be-overlooked/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">temperate regions of the world</a>, thanks to its unique looking leaves and beautiful flowers.

The leaves of the tulip tree have 4 to 6 distinct points and are almost rectangular in shape. Once you learn the leaf shape, this tree is hard to confuse with any other. The flowers resemble tulip flowers and give the tree its name. They are huge, striking, yellow flowers with bands of intense orange on the petals. Like magnolias, tulip tree flowers are incredibly fragrant, another reason this tree is so popular. The tree has a dense canopy in an oval shape when grown out in the open. Finally, the leaves turn bright yellow in fall and drop until new leaves are formed the following spring.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1882144 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/floral-22983_1280.jpg" alt="dogwood flower tree bract" width="1280" height="1033" />

[Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/jamesdemers-3416/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">JamesDeMers</a> via <a href="https://pixabay.com/">Pixabay</a>]
<h2>Dogwood - Cornus spp.</h2>
Dogwoods are another commonly planted species. Like cherry trees, there are many species that are somewhat challenging to distinguish. So, we’ll just worry about the entire Cornus genus. 

Dogwoods have simple, opposite leaves. The leaf veins make dogwoods easy to identify. They are typically curved and point towards the tip of the leaf. The bark of many dogwood species is scaly, allowing chunks to fall off in puzzle pieces like shapes. 

Like the other flowering trees on our list, the flowers of dogwoods make identifying this tree a breeze. Dogwoods have white flowers that decorate the trees during spring. However, the white "petals" aren't actually part of the flower at all. They are modified leaves, called bracts. They serve essentially the same purpose as petals: to attract pollinators. The flowers themselves are tiny and clustered together in the center of the white bracts.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1882145 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/dark-pink-crepe-myrtle-2479421_1280.jpg" alt="crepe crape myrtle flower tree" width="1280" height="853" />

[Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/imageseeker107-5638552/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">imageseeker107</a> via Pixabay]
<h2>Crepe Myrtle - Lagerstroemia indica</h2>
Crepe myrtle is another incredibly common tree planted in yards, gardens, and parks throughout the world. The showy flowers make this a beautiful flowering tree. There are tons of <a href="https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2008/2-6/CultivarOrVariety.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cultivars</a> that have been selected for certain colors, shapes, and sizes, but all crepe myrtles typically have the same general features. 

Crepe myrtles are shrubs or small trees. The leaves are simple, either opposite or alternate, and have very short petioles. Although the leaves are variable, the bark is a reliable method of identification for crepe myrtles and a feature that makes them famous. The bark is grey or light brown and strips off in flakes, creating a beautiful, mottled texture on the trunk. This helps make crepe myrtles attractive for any garden. The flowers are another reason crepe myrtles are so attractive. Crepe myrtle flowers have 5 delicate, wavy paddle-shaped petals that range from white to pink.



[Featured Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/heidelbergerin-1425977/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Heidelbergerin</a> via <a href="https://pixabay.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pixabay</a>]

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7 Beautiful Flowering Trees and How to Identify Them

Flowering trees are everywhere - on the sidewalk, in your...

Archibald Menzies, one of the great British naturalists, brought this other-worldly tree to the U.K. in 1795. Shortly after its arrival in the U.K., British lawyer, Charles Austin, remarked that "It would be a puzzle for a monkey to climb that tree." Because the British hadn't given the tree a name yet, apparently Mr. Austin's remark took hold. Thus the namesake of this prehistoric conifer was born.

[caption id="attachment_1878631" align="alignnone" width="1281"]<img class="wp-image-1878631 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/monkey-puzzle-tree-4392008_1920-e1573149790441.jpg" alt="Monkey Puzzle Tree spikes" width="1281" height="1440" /> Imagine a monkey trying to walk on those spikes![/caption]

During the 1800s, this unique tree had become a garden novelty signifying wealth and status across Great Britain. Currently, it is a common garden tree in New Zealand, Western North America, and Europe. Since it's such a strange being to us, it's sometimes hard to imagine what this tree's native habitat looks like. Where does this mysterious monkey puzzle tree come from?
<h2>The History of the Monkey Puzzle Tree</h2>
The other common name for this tree – the Chilean pine – reveals its origins. This tree grows in the central part of Chile and is also the Chilean national tree. However, some of these trees also grow on the Argentinian side of the Andes. One puzzling thing about the monkey puzzle tree is its evolution.

Botanists believe that this tree evolved over 200 million years ago when dinosaurs still walked the Earth. They think the tough, spiny leaves worked to deter hungry dinosaurs from munching on branches.

Whatever their purpose, the pokey leaves seem to have greatly helped with the survival of the tree. The tree has endured mass extinction, multiple ice ages, and centuries of human use.

The Chilean pine grows in two distinct populations. The majority of the trees thrive in the Andes between 2,000 and 6,000 feet in elevation. An attestation to their resilience, these trees can live for up to 2,000 years. During these years, they can reach upwards of 150 feet tall and 8 feet wide, putting them comfortably within the realm of giants.

Even the leaves of these ancients are old; a study found that the average age of a leaf on a monkey puzzle tree is 24 years old. For comparison, most pine needles only last two or three years!

[caption id="attachment_1878630" align="alignnone" width="1023"]<img class="wp-image-1878630 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Monkey-Tree-Distribution-e1573149466970.jpg" alt="Monkey Puzzle Tree Distribution in Chile" width="1023" height="1253" /> The range of the monkey puzzle tree. Note the small, coastal populations. Photo courtesy of <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Araucana_ubicacion.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Stephen Hayden</a>.[/caption]
<h2>Humans Love the Chilean Pine</h2>
In fact, we're kind of loving it to death. One look at an old monkey puzzle tree highlights its supremely straight trunk. The tree's knot-free, straight-grained wood is excellent for construction. Because of this, the tree was critical to the large logging industry in central Chile until 1976 when the government declared the tree a national monument. This slowed commercial logging of the tree until 1990, at which point it was fully banned.

[caption id="attachment_1877822" align="alignnone" width="1280"]<img class="wp-image-1877822 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/monkey-puzzle-tree-1007125_1280.jpg" alt="chilean pinecones" width="1280" height="960" /> The tasty pine nuts live inside those large, funky pinecones[/caption]

Aside from timber, this tree offers an excellent food source. The cones of this tree are massive pods, which contain about 200 seeds. They are said to taste like pine nuts. However, they are much, much larger.

Some people are looking into growing this as a nut tree in Scotland, where other nut crops can't survive. Unfortunately, it takes 30-40 years for the tree to begin making nuts, which deters interest. Just think of 1,000 years of food afterward, though!
<h2>Conservation Status</h2>
Both logging and seed collecting by Chileans have had a negative impact on the Chilean pine.

Logging reduced the range of this tree and fragmented populations into smaller groups. While the seed makes great food, over-collection of it has caused a decrease in pine seedlings.

This species is slow to regenerate, and seed collection makes it more difficult for young trees to get established.

In 2013 the IUCN declared the plant endangered. This followed the 2001-2002 wildfires that burnt large swaths of old-growth monkey puzzle tree. Scientists project that climate change will continue to make fires more intense in central Chile, posing a threat to the remaining trees.

Over-grazing by cattle in monkey puzzle tree habitats has degraded the landscape, making it more difficult for trees to survive.

The logging industry in Chile and Argentina has turned towards creating plantations of exotic tree species, often to the detriment of monkey puzzle trees. The practice stresses out the trees and reduces their ability to increase their population.

The Chilean pine seems to respond well to planting. The Global Trees Campaign planted 2,000 trees in the early 2,000s and had a 90% survival rate ten years later.

This high survival rate is uncommon for endangered plant species, which provides some hope for the future of the monkey puzzle tree in its native habitat.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chile-volcano-overdue-eruption/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Volcanoes</a> add an additional explosive challenge for these trees. Even though they have lived with volcanoes for millions of years, they are more prone to volcano impacts now. Lava flows can destroy an entire, isolated population, whereas historically, interconnected populations were more resilient.

[caption id="attachment_1877824" align="alignnone" width="799"]<img class="wp-image-1877824 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/799px-Araucaria_in_Conguillio.jpeg" alt="Monkey puzzle trees in a winter storm" width="799" height="599" /> These monkey puzzle trees would argue that they do just fine in snowstorms. Photo courtesy of <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Araucaria_in_Conguillio.JPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grm.gustavo</a>[/caption]
<h2>What About Outside of Chile? Is the Chilean Pine a Good Garden Plant?</h2>
While the monkey puzzle tree faces some major threats in its native habitat, it is having great success seducing gardeners around the world. The tree has weaseled its way into almost every neighborhood along the west coast of the U.S.

The tree does great in any well-draining soil. It prefers slightly acidic soil but should grow well in just about anything with the right climate.

In gardens, the tree will max out at about 80 feet tall, rather than 150 feet in its native habitat. It will, however, continue to produce tasty seeds, as long as another tree of the opposite sex is around to pollinate the cones. Be sure to get a female tree! Males won't ever produce those tasty nuts.

People argue over the minimum temperature at which these trees can grow. While they grow reliably at temperatures as cold as 20°F, some people have succeeded in growing them in much colder places, such as Logan, Utah.

While the tree does well in cool weather, it does very poorly in heat. For this reason, it grows much better in places like the West Coast rather than the East Coast or the American South. The tree will get very stressed out in prolonged temperatures above 80°F.

Many nurseries stock these funky relicts. If you decide to plant one, be sure to baby it for a good three or four years. After that, the tree will be well established and need little care.

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What is a Monkey Puzzle Tree?

Archibald Menzies, one of the great British naturalists, brought this...

A trip to the tropics is a must-do for any nature-loving person. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/species-diversity-greater-tropics-poles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">biological diversity</a> will blow just about anyone's mind. No matter what time of year you go, you’re bound to see some pretty amazing plant and animal life. But, there are certainly some seasonal tips for tropical plant identification that will make your tropical adventures even more fulfilling.

Before we get into maximizing potential for tropical plant identification, we should first cover a few things about the tropics in general. Let’s start with an obvious, but very important question.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1877737 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/waterfall-1030737_1280.jpg" alt="tropical plant identification, waterfall, forest, jungle, tropics" width="1000" height="750" />
<h2>What Are the Tropics? Do They Have Seasons?</h2>
Technically speaking, the tropics are the area that surrounds the equator. The region lies between the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the south. No matter where you are in the tropics, the sun is directly overhead at least once a year.

Since day length doesn’t change much, and the temperatures are pretty consistent year-round, do the tropics even have seasons? To more temperate-minded people, it may seem like the tropics are aseasonal. That is, they don’t experience the seasons that many people are used to. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn are unknown annual occurrences in the tropics.

Lots of people assume the tropics have no seasons. After all, it’s hot and humid year-round, right? Wrong!

Depending on where you are in the tropics, there are usually at least two very distinct seasons: the wet season and dry season. The wet season is characterized by rain. Lots of rain.<a href="https://www.theworldwonders.com/southamerica/choco-forest.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Some places receive 1,000 centimeters</a> (400 inches) of rain during the wet season! For tropical plant identification, the peak of the wet season probably isn’t the best time of year. Unless, of course, you’re okay with getting completely drenched!

A better time of year for tropical botanizing is the wet season’s counterpart. The dry season in many places is when you’ll find the most idyllic weather, and is the most friendly for outdoor activities.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1877735 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/jungle-601542_1280.jpg" alt="tropical plant identification, jungle, forest, mist" width="1000" height="664" />
<h2>What Should You Look For?</h2>
Plant identification in the tropics is challenging. After all, <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/amazonian-rainforest-one-most-biodiverse-places-earth-180955364/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">some forests</a> can contain a thousand species in just a single hectare (2.4 acres). One can spend their whole life learning to identify all the flora in a single forest.

To make things easier, look for flowers and fruits. Plus, flowers are pretty! Fortunately for us, the peak reproduction time for plants in tropical forests is at the beginning and end of the dry season.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1877738 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/pseudobombax.jpg" alt="pseudobombax septenatum, barrigon" width="1000" height="667" />

Be warned, though, because during the dry season many trees drop their leaves completely. If you thought trying to identify a plant without flowers was tough, try identifying one without leaves!

Still, there are always other characteristics you can look for like branching patterns, bark texture, and more. One deciduous tree in particular, the Barrigon tree (Pseudobombax septenatum), has unique verticle green stripes on the trunk. Tropical plant identification often takes much more than just looking at the leaves and flowers.

In some forests in Borneo and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, flowers and fruits are much harder to find. This is because they go through <a href="https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/2776-mast-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">extensive “mast” events</a>. “Masting” is when all plants in a forest flower at the exact same time, all in sync with each other. These events happen seemingly randomly, regardless of the season. However, recent studies have found that mast events occur immediately after an intense drought. So, if you happen to be in Southeast Asia during a drought season, get ready to witness one of the biggest flowering events in the world!

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1877733 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/melastome.jpg" alt="tropical plant identification, melastome leaf" width="1000" height="750" />
<h2>Aseasonal Identification</h2>
Even without their reproductive parts, there are some plants that are a breeze to identify. Two examples of these are the plant families Melastomataceae and Costaceae. Melastomes and spiral gingers (Costaceae) are hard to mistake, even without flowers.

Melastomes are characterized by a few parallel veins running the length of the leaf, with many smaller veins perpendicular to the main ones. A typical melastome leaf is pictured above. Spiral gingers have leaves that spiral up the stalk, and is unmistakable for any other type of plant. Below is a picture of a typical spiral ginger plant. These are just two of many plant families that are abundant in the tropics. <a href="http://www.payaminoproject.org.uk/plantguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Here’s an excellent slideshow</a> that can teach you how to identify more tropical plant families!

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1877732 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Costus_speciosus_2.jpg" alt="tropical plant identification" width="1000" height="667" />

Although there aren’t super distinct seasons in much of the tropics, there are still some seasonal tips for tropical plant identification. Mainly, time your trip to the tropics to coincide with when plants will be reproducing to make things easier, and more fun!

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Seasonal Tips for Tropical Plant Identification

A trip to the tropics is a must-do for any...

When thinking of the savanna, lions, elephants, and zebras might first come to mind. These are the animals that end up on nature documentaries and become the stars of an African safari expedition. But what about the plants, shrubs, trees, and flowers that each of these animals depends on for survival? Let’s take a look at 7 of the coolest savanna plants. 
<h2>What is the Savanna?</h2>
Savannas are marked by large grasslands with scattered individual trees. These giant grasslands are found in several places on earth. The most familiar of the savannas is likely the African savanna. Almost half of the continent is covered with grasslands! Other places on earth with savannas include Brazil, India, and Australia. 

The savanna can be viewed as a kind of ‘in-between’ biome. It receives about 50-120 centimeters (20-50 inches) of rain each year. This places it between deserts (1-25 cm/year) and temperate forests (75-150cm/year). One of the major distinctions between savannas and forests is the duration of the rainy season. While many forests receive a relatively consistent amount of rain throughout the year, savannas are more inconsistent. Savannas are marked by a rainy season, usually 6-8 months, followed by a dry season. This on/off rain pattern allows for the grassland vegetation to be partly controlled by wildfires. 

Savannas are also always warm. They typically experience temperatures ranging from <a href="http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/savanna.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">20-30 degrees</a> Celcius (68-86 degrees Fahrenheit). Savannas experience the lower end of this range during the dry months and the upper end during the rainy months. Now that we know what a savanna is, let's look at some of the coolest savanna plants. 
<h2><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1877228" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/madagascar-4086876_1920-1024x682.jpg" alt="cool savanna baobab tree" width="1024" height="682" /></h2>
<h2>1. Baobab Tree</h2>
The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baobab-trees/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">baobab tree</a> (genus Adansonia) looks like something out of a Doctor Seuss story. While they look like they belong in a children’s novel, these trees are amongst the oldest and largest on earth. Radiocarbon dating estimates some of the oldest individuals to be <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-018-0170-5.epdf?referrer_access_token=HYk_WHVC0gT-RFHTf5UEItRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0PfCb0fwHOSvF60fdB_TECZFartUn3hwa9iRPi5T4HR_Z7SjQWQ4lKaB64vZhh1qC5N2TFnF2czFdo1NNown7crKjT5FAvL4XT_8RfVTrcAxG3dXd9aNXmC65UFK0oqYeC6En43TZpyOa_bwzWd9uTFSJk-kVIdkofLTH2T26rOgitQRLhQOgJebK7ZylvjdBVRrTsg-PpaIWUOVN_RA8hIvvUvP5gAueuYNNQG-1Chi3OW8DK6qgkY5vx8Mr14yvLyGPGa0Doh4tTW3f0QOzpn&amp;tracking_referrer=www.npr.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">over 2,000 years</a> old! Additionally, some specimens of A. digitata can grow to almost 30 meters (100 ft) tall.

Humans and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-baboons-different-immune-systems/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">baboons</a> alike enjoy the nutritious fruits produced by some Adansonia trees. The fruit itself is encased in a hard, woody shell. Once the shell is removed, the pulp of the tree is highly nutritious. They have been shown to have high levels of vitamin C, calcium, iron, and magnesium.
<h2><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1877229" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/serengeti-14781_640.jpg" alt="cool savanna Candelabra Tree" width="640" height="500" /></h2>
<h2>2. Candelabra Tree</h2>
The candelabra tree (E. ingens) is another extremely unique looking savanna plant. It can be found mostly in southern and eastern Africa. It is native to countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Tanzania. While this plant may look inviting, it is covered with a milky wax that is extremely toxic and can cause <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2712704/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">keratouveitis</a>. The flowers of E. ingens are a source of nutrition for butterflies, bees, and other insects. The seeds also serve as a food source for some species of birds.
<h2>3. Elephant Grass</h2>
P. purpureum, also known as Napier grass or <a href="https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=PEPU2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elephant grass</a>, is a massive monocot that has a variety of uses in Eastern Africa. It mainly serves as one of the most important fodder plants for dairy farmers. In the wild ecosystem, elephants utilize it as a source of food, hence its name. 

Recently, elephant grass has been investigated for its use in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27392788" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">push/pull pest management</a> strategies. This system works by planting crops that are deterrents to pests near the main crop being farmed in order to ‘push’ those pests away. This is then paired with a plant that will attract those pests, planted around the perimeter of the crops in order to ‘pull’ those pests away. P. purpureum has been shown to be attractive to stemborer moths, thus it is useful as a ‘pull’ crop. This method of pest management is easier, less expensive, and less environmentally damaging than commercially available <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-probe-pesticides-bees/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">chemical pesticides</a>. 
<h2><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1877230" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/babul-2872022_1280-1024x712.jpg" alt="cool savanna gum arabic tree" width="1024" height="712" /></h2>
<h2>4. Gum Arabic Tree</h2>
The gum Arabic tree (S. senegal) is one of the most important plants to the African country of Sudan. As the name implies, the gum Arabic tree is responsible for the production of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/food-science/gum-arabic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">gum Arabic</a>. This compound is used extensively in pharmaceuticals, food production, and traditional medicine. This tree grows so well in Sudan that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24511757" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">80% of the world’s gum Arabic</a> is exported from Sudan.
<h2>5. Whistling Thorn</h2>
The whistling thorn (V. drepanolobium) is one of the coolest savanna plants. It has adapted to living in the harsh conditions of the savanna and serves as a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/symbiotic-relationships/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">symbiotic home</a> for ants. For the most part, V. drepanolobium is protected by the massive pairs of thorns found all over the plant. Some animals are still capable of grazing on the whistling thorns, which is where the ants help out. 

Each of the thorns is hollow and contains nectar. This provides both a home and a source of food for the ants. In return, the ants help protect the plant from herbivory by swarming foragers. 
<h2><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1877227" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/acacia-1510898_1280-1024x685.jpg" alt="cool savanna acacia tree" width="1024" height="685" /></h2>
<h2>6. Acacia Tree</h2>
The acacia tree (V. tortilis) is an iconic species in the African savanna. These trees are huge, sometimes growing to be <a href="http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_umbrella_thorn.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">over 20 meters</a> (66 ft) tall! The tree is central to all kinds of life in the savanna. Humans use the branches as materials for fences and furniture, and the bark is often <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/162/3856/890" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">made into string</a> by people of Tanganyika. 

Animals rely on the acacia tree (umbrella thorn) as an important source of food. The tree drops seed pods which are eaten by rhinos, monkeys, and impala. 
<h2>7. Jackalberry Tree</h2>
Another tree that has a symbiosis with insects is the jackalberry tree (D. mespiliformis). These trees can grow to be quite large - up to 25 meters (80 feet). These large trees thus have a rather large and complex root system. These roots provide a home for certain species of termites, which in turn help to <a href="https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/10457794" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">aerate the soil</a> for the trees. Jackalberry trees are typically very easy to spot on the savanna because they can grow to have circumferences of 5 meters (16 feet)!
<h2>Coolest Savanna Plants</h2>
Today we’ve only touched on 7 of the coolest savanna plants - there are thousands more that live in Africa, India, and Australia. 

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7 of the Coolest Savanna Plants

When thinking of the savanna, lions, elephants, and zebras might...

If you’ve ever been to <a href="https://www.earth.com/image-category/wonders-of-iceland/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iceland</a>, you may have been shocked at the otherworldly landscapes that help make it famous. Its volcanoes and stark landscapes make it seem like a place that shouldn’t be rich in plant life. After all, it’s in the name - a land of ice! The name, however, is highly misleading. Summers in Iceland are notoriously green, with fields carpeted by plants such as wildflowers and grasses. In fact, Iceland is home to <a href="http://en.ni.is/botany/vegetation/vegetation-types/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">around 1,000 plant species</a>. When you include fungi and lichen, this number grows to 5,000 species!
There is a myth, though, that Iceland is completely devoid of trees. Trees can’t survive in temperatures that are too cold year-round. One reason is that prolonged freezing temperatures can freeze the sap for too long, and kill the tree. Another reason trees can’t survive in extreme cold is that their roots can’t penetrate deep enough through permafrost to access nutrients. So, is Iceland actually devoid of trees? Are there trees in Iceland? To answer these questions, we have to go back to when humans arrived on the small island.
 
<img class="alignnone wp-image-1877198 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Forest_habitat_in_Iceland.jpg" alt="forest iceland trees" width="1590" height="1138" />
<h2> </h2>
 
<h2>History of Iceland Trees</h2>
When Vikings first arrived on the island more than a millennium ago, up to 40% of the landmass was wooded. This percentage could have been even higher long before Vikings set foot on the rocky shores of Iceland. After their arrival, mass deforestation ensued to provide wood for houses and other structures as people settled. After just a few hundred years, most of the trees in Iceland had been cut down, leading to <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/desertification/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">“desertification.”</a>
Desertification is when once fertile land becomes infertile as a result of drought, unsustainable use, or in this case, deforestation. No trees meant there was more erosion, which led to poor and shallow soil that couldn’t support tree life. To make matters worse, animal agriculture kept forests from regenerating due to sheep and other animals eating saplings, leading to even more erosion.
The resulting landscape is now extremely characteristic in Iceland. Rocky and barren fields are the first sight visitors see when they land in <a href="https://guidetoiceland.is/reykjavik-guide/top-10-things-to-do-in-reykjavik" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reykjavík</a>. Even when people completely expect such a sight, it can be a surprising and alien-looking environment.
 
<h2>Native Trees in Iceland</h2>
Despite diminished numbers, there are some tree species native to Iceland. They were once abundant on the island before it was settled, and made up the bulk of the long-gone forests. Now, they are relics of the past, but you can still find them in certain areas today. Although trees are often thought of as big, towering giants, trees in Iceland are much smaller due to the limited growing season and harsh conditions. Rarely do even the largest ones get to be 15 meters in height.
 
<img class="alignnone wp-image-1877199 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/eurobirch.jpg" alt="iceland trees downy birch betula pubescens" width="1024" height="672" />
<h3> </h3>
 
<h3>Downy Birch (Betula pubescens)</h3>
This particular birch species is also native to Northern Europe all the way into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hanging-climate-siberia-livable/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Siberian Russia</a>. Downy birch is definitely the most common tree species in Iceland and makes up the bulk of the forested area that’s still present in the country. Historically, settlers used birchwood as a building material and as a fuel source. Perhaps the most important product of birch was charcoal, which was necessary for metalworking.
<h3> </h3>
 
<h3>Tea-Leaved Willow (Salix phylicifolia)</h3>
Tea-leaved willow is more of a shrub than a tree, but it does occasionally get to be tree-sized. This is probably the second most common tree in Iceland and often accompanies the downy birch in forest stands. It’s also present in marshlands throughout its range. The Icelandic name of the tea-leaved willow is Gulvíðir.
 
<img class="alignnone wp-image-1877201 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/rowan.jpg" alt="iceland trees, sorbus aucuparia" width="900" height="602" />
 
<h3>Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)</h3>
Rowan is a more uncommon tree species in Iceland. It’s typically pickier than other Iceland trees and is only found in more favorable conditions. Where it is found, it’s often the tallest tree in the area, outperforming other more common species.
 
<h3>European Aspen (Populus tremula)</h3>
This is the rarest tree species in Iceland, although it’s extremely common throughout the rest of Europe and Asia. Interestingly, it doesn’t actually flower in Iceland. It spreads by shoots that come from the roots, essentially cloning itself over and over again. A different species of aspen in Colorado does this too, and is now the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pando-oldest-organisms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">largest clonal organism on the planet</a>!
 
<img class="alignnone wp-image-1877200 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Thjorsardalur_National_Forest_Iceland.jpg" alt="forest iceland reforestation" width="1000" height="629" />
 
<h2>Reforestation in Iceland</h2>
In recent years, <a href="https://www.geographyrealm.com/icelands-long-road-to-reforestation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reforestation efforts</a> have been underway to restore parts of Iceland that were once covered by trees. Downy birch is really the only commercially valuable tree in Iceland, so this particular species has been a target for reforestation efforts. Unfortunately, climate change is making it hard for native Icelandic trees to thrive. So, many non-native species have been introduced to the country. These days, we know introducing non-native species can have drastic negative impacts on local ecosystems. Regardless, trees in Iceland are making a comeback one way or another.
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Trees in Iceland, or Lack Thereof

If you’ve ever been to Iceland, you may have been...

Most people can easily tell apart apples from bananas, and oranges from blackberries. But, how easy is it to identify the plants they come from? To find out, here’s a guide on how to identify the 10 most common fruit plants.

The most important thing to look at is the leaf type. They can be simple or compound, meaning just having one leaf blade or multiple. Additionally, leaves can be arranged opposite of each other, or alternately along the stem. The most common type of leaf by far is simple and alternate.

Now, as for the fruit we’ll be discussing - how do you classify a common fruit? For the sake of this list, we refer to the <a href="https://www.pma.com/content/articles/2017/05/top-20-fruits-and-vegetables-sold-in-the-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">top fruits sold in the US</a> according to the Produce Marketing Association.

On with the identification! Here’s a list of the 10 most common fruit plants, and how to identify them.

&nbsp;
<h2><img class="alignnone wp-image-1875635 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/bananas-2424320_1920.jpg" alt="identify fruit plants banana tree" width="1920" height="1278" /></h2>
&nbsp;
<h2>Bananas</h2>
Bananas are the most sold fruit in the US. All bananas are grown far away from the US in the tropics, mostly in Central and South America. Banana plants themselves, even without the iconic yellow fruit, are very easy to identify. Often referred to as “trees”, banana plants are <a href="https://www.gardenbetty.com/a-banana-plant-is-an-herb-or-little-known-banana-facts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">technically an herb</a>. In fact, they are the world’s largest herb! They have thick stalks and a handful of huge, long leaves at the top.

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1875617 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/apple.jpg" alt="apple tree fruit plant" width="1000" height="516" />
<h2></h2>
&nbsp;
<h2>Apples</h2>
Apples are a schoolteacher’s favorite, doctor repelling fruit. The trees they come from are a common ornament in yards, sometimes a relic from an orchard long-gone. Without its fruit, though, these trees can be hard to identify.

The leaves are always simple, arranged alternately on a branch. Additionally, the leaves are “serrated” or toothed on the edge. The flowers are white or pink and smell very sweet. Older apple trees will have flaky bark, that falls off in long strips.

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1563683 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/mustang-grape--vitis-mustangensis.jpg" alt="" width="1600" height="1141" />

&nbsp;
<h2>Grapes</h2>
If you’ve ever been to a vineyard, you’ve seen grape plants. The small purple or green fruits <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/vine-plant-identification-101/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">grow on vines</a> that can become rather unruly. When kept in check, grapevines will happily produce fruit year after year.

Depending on the variety of grape, the leaves will look slightly different. In general, the leaves of the vine are usually large and rough, with three to five lobes. The woody, thicker part of the vine has flaky bark like a cedar tree, while the thinner portions are smooth and coppery red. Look for these characteristics when you're trying to identify this fruit plant.

&nbsp;
<h2><img class="alignnone wp-image-1875619 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/strawberry.jpg" alt="strawberry plant herb" width="1000" height="666" /></h2>
&nbsp;
<h2>Strawberries</h2>
Strawberries are a sure sign of summer in many parts of the world. The small fruit comes from a plant equally as small. The little herb grows usually no more than 20 centimeters (8 inches) from the ground. The leaves are compound, with no more than 3 leaflets all right next to each other.

Strawberry plants often produce <a href="https://homeguides.sfgate.com/plant-runner-70434.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">“runners”</a> which trail off in any direction and sprout up as new plants. The flowers and fruits hang just below the leaves.

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1875620 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/lemon.jpg" alt="lemon tree citrus fruit plant" width="1000" height="666" />

&nbsp;
<h2>Citrus</h2>
Oranges, lemons, and limes are all in the citrus family. Because the trees all look so similar, let’s just pretend they're all the same fruit for now. In reality, different kinds of citrus fruits can be really tough to tell apart until they're ripe.

Citrus trees tend to have dark green leaves and are usually covered in spines. So, have caution when you pick a lime off a tree, you could get poked! Aside from the spines and leaf color, the smell of a crushed up leaf is unmistakable. Nearly all plants in the citrus family, from lemon trees to wild herbs, have extremely fragrant oils that smell, well, citrusy!

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1875618 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/watermelon.jpg" alt="watermelon plant fruit vine" width="1000" height="666" />

&nbsp;
<h2>Watermelon</h2>
Another icon of summer, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-egyptians-watermelon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the watermelon</a>, is one of the heaviest fruits around. What kind of plant can support that kind of weight? It turns out, no kind can! The watermelon plant is a vine that runs along the ground, and the fruit itself grows laying right on top of the soil. Look for big, lobed, and wavy-edged leaves on the ground when trying to identify a watermelon plant.

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1875615 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/blueberry.jpg" alt="blueberry bush fruit plant" width="1000" height="563" />

&nbsp;
<h2>Blueberries</h2>
Blueberries are closely related to cranberries and huckleberries. Without fruits, identifying the plant can be hard. They are always shrubs and can range from 10 centimeters to 4 meters tall. However, farmed blueberries will hover somewhere around a meter tall to make harvesting easier.

The leaves of a blueberry bush are small and pointed, and always arranged alternately on the stem. The shrubs themselves can be quite dense and are also fragile.

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1875621 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/pineapple.jpg" alt="pineapple plant fruit bromeliad" width="1000" height="666" />

&nbsp;
<h2>Pineapple</h2>
These spiky fruits are a tropical staple. It’s one of the most popular fruit in the tropics of the world, and almost as adored in temperate regions. Luckily for us, <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/how-do-pineapples-grow/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the pineapple plant</a> is the most unique looking one on our list, making it a piece of pineapple upside-down cake to identify.

The plant itself is in a family of plants called bromeliads, which are characterized by having lots of long, tough leaves that grow in a “rosette” formation. In the wild, this form allows bromeliads to catch falling organic matter which they can use for extra nutrients. For us, it makes them pretty easy to identify!

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1875616 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/avocado.jpg" alt="avocado tree fruit plant" width="1000" height="666" />

&nbsp;
<h2>Avocado</h2>
The fruit of Millenials, as it’s often referred to, is the avocado. Who can resist a fresh slice of avocado toast? The avocado tree is another fruit plant notoriously hard to identify without the tasty part. The leaves are simple and alternate, and shiny green. When crushed up, they emit a sort of spicy smell, similar to anise, which is unrelated. The smaller stems of an avocado tree are light green, turning brown as they get older.

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1875623 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/bramble.jpg" alt="bramble plant vine" width="1000" height="673" />

&nbsp;
<h2>Raspberries and Blackberries</h2>
These two berries, along with boysenberries, marionberries, and loganberries, are what we call brambles. They grow as vines that like to climb and cover everything in their path. If you’ve ever been to a farm picking these fruit, you probably know how densely covered they are in tough, sharp spines. Botanically speaking, these popular fruits aren’t even berries. Rather, they’re aggregate fruit, but I digress.

Bramble leaves are always compound, with 3 to 5 leaflets. The flowers are almost always white and actually, look very similar to apple flowers. After all, they’re both in the same botanic family, Rosaceae.

So there you have it! Identifying common fruit plants is made easier by looking closely at their leaves. If you can find the correct leaf, then you should be able to identify the source of your favorite fruit next time you cross it.

How to Identify the 10 Most Common Fruit Plants

Most people can easily tell apart apples from bananas, and...

If you haven’t heard of chaga, you aren’t alone. This mushroom, while wildly popular amongst certain groups in the far northern reaches of the planet, has yet to make it into mainstream culture. That being said, it is rapidly gaining celebrity for its wide variety of therapeutic uses, including diabetes, weight-loss, and even anti-cancer properties. 

&nbsp;
<h2>How Does Chaga Grow?</h2>
Chaga is a fungus, which means it reproduces through spores and it feeds on organic matter. This mushroom grows on birch trees that prefer northern climates in places such as Russia, Alaska, Sweden, and Canada. Chaga is circumpolar, meaning it grows around the world in its preferred habitat.

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1873582" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/40358524662_6fb0d37238_k.jpg" alt="chaga mushroom on birch tree" width="2048" height="1365" />

Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/40948266@N04/40358524662">Bjorn S</a>

&nbsp;

During reproduction Chaga spores float through the air, hoping to land on an open wound of a birch tree. Squirrels and bugs feeding on branches for sap or branches broken in wind cause these wounds. 

If successful, the spore enters the tree and slowly spreads throughout the wood. This is a slow process. It can take up to 80 years for Chaga to finally kill its host tree. Once its host is dead, the mushroom uses the inside of the tree to create fruiting bodies that spread more spores into the forest. 

Unlike mushroom species commonly eaten as food, which are the fruiting bodies of the organism, the part of Chaga that interests people is the mycelium. Mycelium is a network of vegetative fungal growth, rather than sexual fungal growth. If you think of an apple tree, the wood and leaves are equivalent to the mycelium, whereas the apple is comparable to the fruiting part of the mushroom. 

The mycelium of Chaga appears as an abnormal growth on the outside of the birch tree. These growths are incredibly hard and dense. They appear black on the outside and orange on the inside. 

This mycelium is harvested from the side of the birch with minimal injury to the tree. Since the mycelium growths appear far before the fungus kills the tree, a single birch can produce Chaga for decades. All Chaga in the world is harvested from the wild by hand. 

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1873583" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/birch-4108669_1920.jpg" alt="birch tree" width="1920" height="1280" />

&nbsp;
<h2>What Do People Claim Chaga Can Do?</h2>
Some say that Chaga has so much healing potential because it concentrates the entire life of a tree into a small, consumable package. Imagine, the power of a hundred springs, summers, falls, and winters sitting in the palm of your hand as a medicine. 

In Russia, people have used this mushroom for centuries in folk-medicine. Currently, people of many backgrounds from around the world swear by this northern 'Black Gold.' Is there any science to back up these claims?

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1873585" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Chaga-Tad4.jpg" alt="chaga mushroom" width="1280" height="960" />

&nbsp;

To date, no clinical trials on humans have been published on the medicinal effects of Chaga. However, the last decade has seen a remarkable uptick in scientific research on the fungus. We now have dozens of studies using Chaga on mice, rats, and human cancer cells. These studies have some remarkable findings. 
<h3>Diabetes and Weight Loss</h3>
<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2010/r101022.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">One in three Americans</a> is predicted to be diabetic or prediabetic by the year 2050. That is over 100 million people! Research shows that Chaga can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18434051" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">decrease the level of glucose</a> in the blood of diabetic mice. A different study revealed that regular ingestion of a fermented Chaga mixture <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2010/r101022.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">suppressed body weight gain</a> of mice on a high-fat diet. Perhaps we will see an increase in Chaga consumption with our nation's growing diabetes problem.
<h3>Antioxidants</h3>
Chaga contains an impressive amount of antioxidants. By weight, it can have up to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2010/r101022.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">150 times the antioxidant load of blueberries</a>. While I would certainly rather eat a cup of blueberries compared to a cup of woody Chaga, the amount of antioxidants it contains is quite impressive. These chemicals are widely known to stave off cancer and inflammation. 
<h3>Cancer</h3>
Perhaps the most exciting secret that Chaga may hold is in fighting cancer. A recent study found that Chaga was effective in <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2010/r101022.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">destroying human lung cancer</a> cells, while leaving normal cells healthy. Other studies have demonstrated similar <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2010/r101022.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">anti-cancer properties</a> for leukemia, colon, and cervical cancers. Furthermore, evidence shows that Chaga can elevate the immune system in mice. This could prove useful for patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, because they have diminished immune systems due to the harsh treatment. Chaga is also reported to work as an antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and to cure stomach ulcers. Some think it can even repair damaged DNA!

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1873584" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/IMG_2399.jpg" alt="brich trees" width="4032" height="3024" />

&nbsp;
<h3>How Is Chaga prepared?</h3>
Chaga is not bioactive (available for your body to process) in its natural state. The mushroom is as hard as wood and bigger than a softball. Try taking a bite out of that! Here are three ways people access the medicinal benefits of chaga:
<ol>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Typically, this woody mushroom is broken into chunks the size of peppercorns and brewed as a tea. The fungus needs to boil for at least fifteen minutes for the therapeutic chemicals to come out. However, some research suggests that other methods may capture more of the medicinal benefits. </li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">An extraction via alcohol is performed to remove all water-soluble compounds from the mushroom, creating a higher potency medicine. </li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">A more challenging way to turn the mushroom into medicine is through fermentation with bacteria. While research on the fermentation of Chaga is in its infancy, it seems to be promising. </li>
</ol>
These three methods are currently the most common. It’s possible that the method of extraction could vary depending on the intended use of the plant. For weight loss, the Chaga <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2010/r101022.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">prepared through fermentation</a> might be best, whereas for anti-cancer properties an alcohol extraction could be superior. To complicate matters further, Chaga that grows in different areas across the globe have different concentrations of therapeutic compounds. This means that Chaga native to France could be<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2010/r101022.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> better for curing cancer</a> than the Chaga that grows in Russia.

&nbsp;
<h3>How Can I Get Chaga?</h3>
Various companies sell Chaga in different forms. It is commonly sold as a tea, as a powder to mix into smoothies, as a tincture, and as an ingredient in mixtures with other therapeutic mushrooms. <a href="https://us.foursigmatic.com/mushroom/mushroom-coffee?gclid=CjwKCAjw0N3nBRBvEiwAHMwvNoNsb5CF_HCY0DE0hHq291cWg5oXBQtxW6Jwh_g8i6iN1gC8m_MlRxoC4n0QAvD_BwE" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">One company</a> even puts Chaga in coffee, along with Reishi and other mushrooms, to add a little dose of medicine to your morning routine. 

I look forward to seeing more research emerge about Chaga and its benefits. While I am a natural skeptic, this mushroom really does seem to have something going on. Don’t be surprised if you see Chaga popping up everywhere in the next few years. It is certainly beginning to be a fad, and may become much more than that.

&nbsp;

What Is Chaga? Intro to the Alaskan Medicinal Mushroom

If you haven’t heard of chaga, you aren’t alone. This...

What’s growing on that tree? This is a question you may have asked yourself once or twice on a walk around your neighborhood, in the park, or out in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/government-wildness-wilderness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wilderness</a> somewhere. If you’ve ever wondered about an odd-looking growth on a trunk, stump, or branch, you’re not alone. Many of us would love to be masters at identifying tree fungus, so that’s why we’ve made this handy guide!

Keep in mind that fungus growing on a tree is usually a good sign that the tree is decaying or dying. Because fungi feed on organic matter, they are often a sure sign that a tree is <a href="https://treesforlife.org.uk/forest/forest-ecology/decomposition-and-decay/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">nearing the end of its life</a>. Tree fungi come in diverse arrays of shapes and sizes. There are a few growth forms of fungus that are easily identifiable. We’ll go over some of the main types of tree fungus and how to identify them.

In order to identify a tree fungus, the main thing to look for is the general shape and texture. The part you see is actually the fruiting body of a fungus, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg. The rest of the organism is the hidden mycelium which the fungus uses to retrieve nutrients, like the roots of a plant. The most important part of a fungus in order to identify it, however, is the visible part. Here are 3 common types of tree fungus and examples to look for:

&nbsp;
<h2>1. Shelf Fungus</h2>
This type of fungus is named after the easily identifiable shape they create. They look like little shelves that protrude from the trunk or branches of a tree. Although they all exhibit the same general shape, they can be all sorts of colors and textures.

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1873578 size-large" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Ganoderma_applanatum-1024x768.jpg" alt="artist's conk fungus" width="1024" height="768" />
<h3>Artist’s Conk (Ganoderma applanatum)</h3>
Another super abundant shelf fungus is the artist’s conk. You can find it growing on many species of trees, from conifers to broad-leaf trees. It's a thick shelf fungus, with brown on the top and white on the bottom. If you think you've identified one, to be sure, try drawing a picture on the underside with a twig or even your fingernail, and see how the artist's conk <a href="http://themushroomforager.com/2010/08/03/artists-conk-canvas-of-the-forest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">got its name</a>!

&nbsp;
<h3><img class="alignnone wp-image-1873579 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/turkeytailfungus.jpg" alt="turkey tail fungus" width="768" height="576" /></h3>
<h3>Turkey Tail Fungus (Trametes versicolor)</h3>
One of the more common species of shelf fungus is the turkey tail fungus. This one can be found all over the world, and the psychedelic colors it displays make it easy to identify.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;
<h2>2. Cap Fungus</h2>
When one thinks of a mushroom, the first image to appear in their head is the shape of a classic cap mushroom. Although this type of fungus is more common growing on the ground than on a tree, it’s still possible to see them on a tree trunk.

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1873581 size-large" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/mushrooms-295823_1280-1024x768.jpg" alt="Oyster mushrooms" width="1024" height="768" />
<h3>Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus)</h3>
An incredibly common cap fungus is the oyster mushroom. These are <a href="https://www.giverecipe.com/fried-oyster-mushroom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">eaten worldwide</a>, and are the target of many a mushroom forager. They grow in clusters and are a creamy white color. Oyster mushrooms can be found nearly everywhere in the temperate regions of the world, growing on the trunks of broad-leaf trees.

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1873580 size-large" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/matryoshka-516281_1280-1024x682.jpg" alt="amanita mushroom" width="1024" height="682" />
<h3>Fly Amanita (Amanita muscaria)</h3>
Fly amanita mushrooms, also simply called amanita mushrooms, can be found anywhere. You may wonder why a mushroom that grows out of the ground is on our list of tree fungus. Well, it’s because it is a tree fungus! This one is associated with the roots of a tree, an incredibly common <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fungi-everywhere/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">life strategy many fungi have</a>. Amanita mushrooms are beneficial for their host, by reducing the number of parasitic fungi that would otherwise grow on the tree. Their easily identifiable, too. Look for the bright red cap with white spots.

&nbsp;
<h2>3. Jelly Fungus</h2>
Another fungus name that describes the organism all too well is the jelly fungus. These gelatinous blobs are sometimes called snot fungus due to their gooey, amorphous forms. It’s relatively easy to recognize this type of fungus. Here's my favorite example of jelly fungi:

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1873577 size-large" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/jelly-ear-fungus-1024x681.jpg" alt="jelly ear fungus" width="1024" height="681" />
<h3>Wood Ear (Auricularia auricula-judae)</h3>
Wood ear fungus is coppery red and resembles a shelf fungus in its shape. Due to its gelatinous form, it’s actually a type of jelly fungus. You’ll find this one on dead or dying branches of trees, usually in the colder months of the year. It can also be on fallen wood on the forest floor. Like oyster mushrooms, wood ear fungus is a delicacy in some countries, despite the weird texture!

&nbsp;

Remember - don’t go around eating random mushrooms! Many are poisonous, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mushrooms-hallucinogenic-predators/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hallucinogenic</a>, or deadly, and it’s easy to mistakenly identify different types. Go with a seasoned mushroom forager who knows what they’re doing. If you're curious about learning more about foraging for mushrooms, check out our guide on identifying edible mushrooms.

Guide to Identifying Tree Fungus (and the 3 Most Common Types)

What’s growing on that tree? This is a question you...

The,Diverse,Amazon,Forest,Seen,From,Above,,A,Tropical,Forest

Trees are a valuable part of all of our lives. Trees create the oxygen we breathe, grow the food we eat, provide us with shade on hot days, and beautify our homes and neighborhoods. Learning tree identification is the first step in appreciating this incredible group of woody plants that impact our lives so profoundly. Once you learn to call a tree by name, you will begin to notice more and more features and facts about that type of tree.


[caption id="attachment_1893647" align="alignnone" width="500"]<img class="size-full wp-image-1893647" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/shutterstock_1374784175.jpg" alt="eucalyptus trees" width="500" height="334" /> Eucalyptus trees have interesting branching patterns and bark.[/caption]
<h2>What Is A Tree?</h2>
The technical definition of a tree is a woody plant that has a single trunk that grows to a considerable height.
Let's rule out some broad categories of plants that aren't trees.
Any plants that die back to the ground in winter are never trees. This group includes herbaceous and <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/a-gardeners-guide-to-perennial-identification/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">perennial wildflowers</a>. Vines also aren't trees (although some tree branches have vine-like habits).
The line between bush and tree can be blurry. Bushes, like trees, are also woody plants. However, if the plant has many trunks coming from the ground and is less than 15 feet tall, it is a bush rather than a tree. Rarely, some 'bushes' can reach <a href="http://www.madrono.org/san-francisco-landscape/journalism/journey-to-the-worlds-tallest-manzanita.html#.YO48mxNKhhE" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">up to 40 feet high</a>. Nature never fits perfectly in the boxes we prescribe to it.
Botanically speaking, only dichotomous plants can produce wood. This means that monocots are never trees. Palm 'trees' and bamboo fall under the monocot category and therefore aren't trees (you can still think of them as trees though, only snobby botanists will call you out on this).

<h3>How Many Tree Species Are There?</h3>
There are about 60,000 species of trees on Earth. This accounts for about 20% of all plant species on the planet. If you're in mainland Alaska then your task as a tree identifier is pretty easy. There are about a <a href="https://www.alaska.org/expert-advice/trees" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">half dozen species</a> of trees in that massive area! If you're in Florida you'd better get to work because there are hundreds of species in that state. Generally, U.S. tree diversity is much higher east of the Mississippi river compared to the West.


[caption id="attachment_1893648" align="alignnone" width="500"]<img class="size-full wp-image-1893648" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/shutterstock_1245559723.jpg" alt="giant sequoias" width="500" height="334" /> Giant sequoias are the largest trees on Earth. Their shaggy bark and gigantic size are great identifying factors.[/caption]
<h2>Conifer Versus Broadleaf Tree Identification</h2>
A major distinction between trees groups is coniferous trees and broadleaf trees. Don't get these terms mixed up with evergreen and deciduous. These terms mean different things!
A <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/gymnosperms-and-angiosperms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conifer tree</a> has needles instead of leaves. These needles are thin and long. Christmas trees, for example, are always a type of conifer. Famous examples of conifers are redwoods, giant sequoias, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/what-is-a-monkey-puzzle-tree/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">monkey puzzle trees</a>. Cedars, junipers, and cypresses are conifers that have scales instead of needles. There are only about 600 species of conifers in the world, meaning they represent only about 1% of all tree species.
Broadleaved trees make up the vast majority of tree species. These trees have true leaves, like a sycamore or a red oak.


[caption id="attachment_1893641" align="alignnone" width="500"]<img class="size-full wp-image-1893641" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/shutterstock_1568653840.jpg" alt="deciduous conifer" width="500" height="334" /> A larch loses its needles in the fall. Larches are deciduous conifers.[/caption]
<h3>Evergreen and Deciduous Tree Identification</h3>
An evergreen tree is a tree that never drops its leaves or needles. Think spruce, fir, or juniper. Deciduous trees drop all of their leaves for winter. Think dogwood, hickory, or horse chestnut.
People often think of the terms conifer and evergreen as meaning the same thing. This is incorrect. Likewise, broad-leafed is not interchangeable with deciduous.
Almost all conifers are indeed evergreen. However, tons of broad-leafed trees are also evergreen. Magnolias in the American south and live oaks in the American southwest and eucalyptus are common examples of evergreen broad-leafed trees.
In fact, there are tons of broad-leafed evergreen tree species since most species of trees live in the tropics where trees don't need to drop leaves because of a cold winter.
Larches, dawn redwoods, and bald cypresses are all kinds of conifers that drop their needles in the fall. These types of trees are deciduous conifers.

<h2>Next Level Tools for Tree Identification</h2>
There are three main methods for learning tree species; direct, in-person teaching, tree identification guides, and plant identification apps.
The first, and in my opinion most valuable, is to go out with someone who knows the trees and can teach you firsthand. Schools and other institutions offer classes and workshops on plant identification. Perhaps your friend can teach you a thing or two as well. Going to an arboretum or a botanic garden is also a great way to learn trees since trees in these places are usually identified with their species name.
Field guides are only helpful if you know how to use them. If you're looking for a field guide, try to get the one that is the most specific to your region.
A guide to the 'Trees of Western North Carolina' will be much more useful for someone living in Asheville than a generic 'Trees of the South' guide. Similarly, that 'Trees of the South' guide will be better than a 'Trees of North America' guide.
Some field guides are full of pictures or drawings. These sorts of guides act as visual references for tree ID. However, since there are sometimes hundreds of tree species, these guides usually only list the common tree species. For most people, this is sufficient.
More technical, dichotomous keys are the most accurate guides for identifying trees. The niche botanical vocabulary and lack of pictures in these guides are usually daunting for the layperson. People usually need to take botany classes to learn how to use these dichotomous keys.
Lastly, plant identification apps can be quite effective for quick identification. Apps are frighteningly accurate in many situations. All you do is take a picture of the plant and the app will suggest likely plant species based on the appearance and location of the plant. The future is here!

<h2>Use Different Plant Parts for Tree Identification</h2>
Paying attention to features both large and small helps aid proper tree identification. Details as small as the veins on the leaves or as large as the general branching structure of the tree can give you valuable clues into what species of tree you are looking at.


[caption id="attachment_1893642" align="alignnone" width="500"]<img class="size-full wp-image-1893642" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/shutterstock_98706824.jpg" alt="oak leaf" width="500" height="333" /> Oak leaves are generally lobed. This leaf shape is a good clue for identifying oaks.[/caption]
<h3>Leaves Are Essential for Tree Identification</h3>
There are too many types of tree leaves to cover in this guide, but let's touch on some basics. Leaves can be either simple or compound. A simple leaf has no divisions whereas a compound leaf is made up of several leaflets. Leaves can be palmately compound, like the fingers coming off of your palm. Maple leaves are palmately compound. Leaves can also be pinnately compound, which means they look like a fern. Acacias sometimes have pinnately compound leaves.


[caption id="attachment_1893643" align="alignnone" width="1024"]<img class="size-large wp-image-1893643" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/shutterstock_562460287-1024x614.jpg" alt="leaf shapes" width="1024" height="614" /> This illustration shows a few kinds of leaf shapes.[/caption]
The leaf margins are also important to notice. A leaf margin is the shape of the edge of a leaf. A margin is entire if it has no texture to it. Leaves can have serrate or toothed margins, like a bread-cutting knife, along with a whole host of other margin types. Oak leaves generally have lobed margins. There are a few dozen types of leaf margins to learn.
The general leaf shape can give clues to the tree species as well. Is the leaf shaped like an oval or a heart? Lanceolate, oblong, oval, and cordate are just a few of the possible leaf shapes.
Leaf size, the shape of leaf tips, color of the top side versus underside, venation, and even the shape of hairs on the leaves can also be used to identify trees.


[caption id="attachment_1893644" align="alignnone" width="500"]<img class="size-full wp-image-1893644" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/shutterstock_1074642392.jpg" alt="jacaranda" width="500" height="452" /> Jacaranda trees display their stunning purple flowers in the spring. This bounty of purple makes them unmistakable when flowering.[/caption]
<h3>Flowers Only Sometimes Work for Tree Identification</h3>
Don't rely on tree flowers for identification! This is for one simple reason; flowers are only present for a short time every year. However, if you do find yourself lucky enough to be identifying a tree with flowers, they are often quite helpful in distinguishing between different tree species.
Get your hands on one of the flowers (or cones) and dissect it with your fingers. Every possible part of the flower you can see has a technical botanical name. The same types of aspects you noticed on the leaf can help with flowers. For example, the shape of the flowers, the margins of the flowers, the hairs on the flowers, and the colors of the flowers are all clues towards finding the right tree species.
<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1893645" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/shutterstock_408718939-1024x681.jpg" alt="tree shapes" width="1024" height="681" />

<h3>It Is Important to Notice Overall Tree Structure</h3>
While the teeny tiny details of flowers and leaves can get you to the right tree, you often need to look at the overall tree structure as well. Is the tree wide or tall? Does it have tons of branches or just a few big ones? Can you see through the canopy or is it fully shaded? Is the base of the tree enlarged by the roots or not?
Botanists often refer to the overall gestalt of a plant. Gestalt is a German word that translates loosely to 'entire pattern'. For plant ID nerds, this means the patterns that the entire plant seem to exude. Since plants from the same species can look very different based on environmental factors, a hunch based on the plant's gestalt is often the quickest and most accurate way to identify the plant!
The more ID repetitions you get, the more accurate your gestalt for a plant species becomes. Once you have seen 1,000 of the same tree species in tons of different places, you will no doubt be able to pick out that same species in any forest.


[caption id="attachment_1893646" align="alignnone" width="500"]<img class="size-full wp-image-1893646" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/shutterstock_252615424.jpg" alt="bristlecone pine" width="500" height="331" /> Bristlecone pines are the oldest trees on Earth, living over 5,000 years. They only live in extremely high, windy locations in the Mountain West on nutrient-poor soils.[/caption]
<h2>Pay Attention to Habitat for Tree ID</h2>
Once you feel like you have a good guess on the group of trees your tree is in, you can use environmental factors to parse it out from similar species. Often times you can whittle down potential tree species by taking the geographic range and habitat of a species into account.
For example, incense cedars look similar to western red cedars, but western red cedars don't grow in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Therefore, if you see a cedar in the hills of those mountains, you don't need to pick apart the differences between the two cedars because only the incense cedar lives in that ecosystem.
You can weed out additional similar tree species by taking the elevation, sunlight, soil moisture, geology, and slope direction into account.
Learning your local trees, whether they are gnarled oaks or grand chestnuts, adds meaning to the landscape and combats plant blindness.
Once you learn tree species, you can pay attention to which bird species prefer which kinds of trees. You can notice which species of trees tend to grow next to each other. If you're willing to put in the time, the natural world has infinite fascinating stories to tell.
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A Beginner's Guide to Tree Identification

Trees are a valuable part of all of our lives....

Just like how knowing the names of neighbors makes you feel part of a community, identifying the trees in your yard or on nature hikes can similarly make you feel more connected to your local landscapes. But how do you start identifying trees? Botanists use everything from the branching patterns to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/seasonal-tips-for-tropical-plant-identification/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bark texture</a> to figure out the species. However with plants everywhere leafing out for the summertime, using the tree leaves to identify species provides greater ease and accuracy. These helpful tips for tree leaf identification are a sure way to start learning the names of trees.

[caption id="attachment_1881897" align="alignnone" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-1881897 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/leaves-5151586_1920.jpg" alt="tree leaf identification; Oak leaves" width="1920" height="1280" /> Oaks are an example of simple, lobed leaves. Image from Analogicus on Pixabay.[/caption]
<h2></h2>
<h2>What Is a Tree?</h2>
The first step to tree leaf identification is finding a tree! While plants can often be delineated into different families (e.g. the rose family, the nightshade family, the pine family), ‘tree’ isn’t one of these classifications. In fact, most plant families include both herbaceous plants and trees. So what is a tree? 

With some variation on specific heights and diameters, most sources can agree on a few general characteristics that set trees apart from other plants:
<ul>
 	<li>Trees are perennial. Many trees have long life spans, lasting hundreds of years. </li>
</ul>
Fun Fact: The oldest living tree is a bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) that is over 4,700 years old. 
<ul>
 	<li>Trees are woody. Trees have a woody stem or trunk, and most trees have thick bark that adds to their protection.</li>
</ul>
Fun Fact: Giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) have the thickest bark, sometimes measuring over <a href="https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/cook/sec1.htm#:~:text=The%20bark%20of%20the%20giant%20sequoia%20is%20one%20of%20its,even%20be%202%20feet%20thick." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">two feet thick</a>.
<ul>
 	<li>Trees are tall. Most trees grow to a considerable height, with different branching patterns.</li>
</ul>
Fun Fact: Coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) reach the tallest heights, with a record of almost 400 feet.

Once you have a tree picked out, use the tips below to start narrowing down the species.
<h2>Where in the World? Get a Good Field Guide.</h2>
Because most tree species grow specific to a certain region, knowing what species grow in your region helps quickly narrow the options for tree leaf identification. The Rocky Mountains create a distinct change in climate and ecosystem in the center of North America. Consequently tree species tend to differ east and west of this continental spine, and many field guides reflect this distinction by providing eastern and western versions. Both the <a href="https://www.audubon.org/national-audubon-society-field-guides" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees</a> and the <a href="http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/peterson/fieldguides.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Peterson Field Guide Series</a> have a guide for the region east of the Rockies and one that covers the land from the Rocky Mountains to the west coast. 

For more localized guides, check out your state’s forest service website.
<h2>The Two Types of Tree Leaves</h2>
Identifying tree leaves starts with a simple first question: are they scaly and needle-like or are they broad and flat? All trees can initially be divided into the two main categories of gymnosperms and angiosperms depending on their type of leaf and mode of reproduction.
<h3>Gymnosperms</h3>
On the other hand, gymnosperms have scaly or needle-like leaves, and often do not shed them seasonally. Consequently, most are thought of as evergreen, with the exceptions of Ginkgo, Dawn redwood, and Bald cypress that all drop their leaves. Gymnosperms produce cones or cone-like structures for reproduction and are generally wind-pollinated. For example, some common types of gymnosperms include:
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Pine</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Fir</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Spruce</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Juniper</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Cedar</li>
</ul>
<h3>Angiosperms</h3>
Often losing them in the winter, the leaves of angiosperms are usually broad and flat. Additionally, these trees can be identified by producing flowers and bearing fruit. Examples of angiosperms include:
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Oak</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Maple</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Alder</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Beech</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Aspen</li>
</ul>
<h2>Gymnosperm Tree Leaf ID Tips</h2>
To identify gymnosperms by the leaf, it’s all about the needle (or needles in many cases)! The number of needles in a group along with their length and shape all help guide identification.

[caption id="attachment_1881898" align="alignnone" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-1881898 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/longleaf-pine-1546715_1920.jpg" alt="tree leaf identification; Longleaf Pine" width="1920" height="1280" /> Longleaf pines have needles that can grow up to 18 inches long. Image from Fullersa on Pixabay.[/caption]
<h3>Tip 1: Needle Number</h3>
For some gymnosperms, the branches and twigs are lined with single needles while others have needles that are bundled into groups with papery sheaths called fascicles. If your evergreen tree’s needles are grouped, it’s a type of pine! For instance, the table below organizes some of North America’s most common pines by their needle number.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Number of Needles in Group</td>
<td>Tree Species</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Single leaf-pinyon, Douglas fir, Blue Spruce, Eastern Hemlock</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Red pine, Jack pine, Virginia pine, Lodgepole pine</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2-3</td>
<td>Shortleaf pine, Slash pine, Ponderosa pine</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>Pitch pine, Longleaf pine</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Eastern white pine, Western white pine, Sugar pine, Limber pine</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
While there is one type of pine that only has one needle in each fascicle, the <a href="https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=1093" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Single-leaf pinyon </a>is the exception that proves the rule. Otherwise, trees with single needles fall into different categories such as spruces, firs, and hemlocks.
<h3>Tip 2: Length &amp; Shape</h3>
Secondly, taking a closer look at the length and shape of the needles can really help you with tree identification. For instance, the needles of spruce, fir, and hemlock trees are all about one inch long - much shorter than their pine counterparts. That is to say, most pine needles are over two inches long, with the <a href="https://www.longleafalliance.org/what-is-longleaf/the-tree/physiology/longleaf-pine-needles#:~:text=Owing%20its%20namesake%20to%20having,longer%20needles%20have%20been%20found)." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Longleaf pine growing needles up to 18 inches</a>! 

A common confusion with tree leaf identification is differentiating between spruce and fir trees. Both kinds of needles are about the same size and to make things more confusing, they often grow in the same forests. So how can you tell the needles apart? This is where the needle shape comes into play as the cross-sections of the needles are distinctly different. In short, spruce needles have a square cross-section compared to the flatness of a fir needle. To test, try to roll a needle between two fingers. If it rolls easily, it’s a spruce. If it won’t budge, it’s probably a type of fir. Additionally, spruce needles are also sharply pointed where fir needles are soft. 
<h3>Tip 3: What if It’s scaly?</h3>
There are some trees in the gymnosperm group that don’t follow any of these needle guidelines because they don’t have needles. Gymnosperms can also have scale-like leaves, but will often still produce true cones or modified cones instead of flowers for reproduction. For example junipers, cedars, and sequoias all have scale-like leaves. 
<h2>Angiosperm Tree Leaf ID Tips</h2>
Angiosperms present a whole new set of challenges for leaf identification. Because angiosperms are more widely spread and diverse, there is naturally a much greater variety in their leaves.

[caption id="attachment_1881899" align="alignnone" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-1881899 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/chestnut-tree-275921_1920.jpg" alt="tree leaf identification; Chestnut Tree" width="1920" height="1280" /> Chestnut trees have palmately compound leaves. Image from PublicDomainImages on Pixabay.[/caption]
<h3>Tip 1: Simple or Compound</h3>
A great first step to identifying angiosperm tree leaves is to decide if it’s a simple or compound leaf. A simple leaf blade is undivided while a compound leaf is composed of several leaflets that are independently attached to the center vein. A good way to observe the difference is to first identify where the leaf attaches to the branch, and then see if the leaf is single or made up of smaller leaflets. Common trees with simple leaves include maples, oaks, sycamore, and aspen that come in different shapes, expanded on below. On the other hand trees with compound leaves come in a few varieties including:
<ul>
 	<li>Pinnate - leaflets are arranged on either side of the center vein like a feather (e.g. pecan, walnut, ash)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li>Palmate - leaflets divide from a common point, like the fingers of a hand (e.g. chestnut and buckeye)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Tip 2: Opposite or Alternate</h3>
After deciding if the leaf is simple or compound, the next step is observing how the leaves grow in relation to one another. Botanists place leaves into two categories: opposite and alternate. As you might imagine, opposite leaves grow directly across from one another on the same twig, while, on the other hand, alternate leaves display a staggered pattern on a twig. Many more tree species have alternate leaves than opposite, so if your tree has opposite leaves, that narrows the selection down quite a bit!
<h3>Tip 3: Shapes &amp; Edges</h3>
Finally, to get further clarity on the tree leaf ID, you can try identifying characteristics of its shape and edges.  A great first question to ask regarding shape is if the leaf is lobed or not. Lobes are defined as partial divisions of a leaf. To clarify, a lobed leaf differs from a compound leaf as the leaf does not separate fully into distinct leaflets. For example, tree species with lobed leaves include maples and oaks. 

In the same vein, taking a closer look at the leaf’s edges can help you ID the tree leaf. From undulating waves to intense serrations, leaf edges often differ dramatically between species.

To sum up, with these tree leaf identification tips, now you have the superpower to learn the names of trees in your neighborhoods and in your local forests. 

Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Helpful Tips for Tree Leaf Identification

Just like how knowing the names of neighbors makes you...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Santiago, Chile in South America

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Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...