Tree

Woody perennials typically developing a single trunk and reaching over about 5 m (16 ft) tall. Trees provide shade, habitat, timber, and often edible produce. Combine with more specific tags like “fruit” or “conifer” when appropriate.

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  Arbor Vitae: In Search of the Tree of Life

  The “tree of life,” or arbor vitaæ, has long been surrounded by mystery and debate over its true identity. This story traces how the St. Lawrence Iroquois used the tree’s medicinal properties to aid French explorers and explores the evidence behind its botanical identification.
  tree, conifer, ornamental, temperate
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  Cryptomeria japonica: Climate Change, Cultivation, and Culture

  Cryptomeria japonica, or sugi, is Japan’s national tree and has long held cultural and symbolic importance in the country’s landscape. This story traces how sugi’s role is evolving today as Japan grapples with the environmental and social impacts of aging monoculture forests.
  tree, conifer, ornamental, temperate
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  Cercidiphyllum japonicum: The Katsura at Dumbarton Oaks

  The katsura tree at Dumbarton Oaks, with its sweeping branches and ancient roots, has stood since before the estate was purchased in 1920. This story traces the species’ long history—from prehistoric times to its poetic and horticultural significance in Japan and North America—revealing how it came to grace this Washington, D.C. garden.
  tree, ornamental, temperate, cold-hardy
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  The Broad-Leaf Paperbark: Friend or Foe?

  The paperbark tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia) was introduced by colonial powers to reshape landscapes—from Hong Kong’s rocky hillsides to Florida’s swamplands—under the guise of progress and productivity. This story reveals how a once-valued symbol of development became a cautionary tale of ecological disruption and unintended consequences.
  tree, medicinal, tropical
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  Pecan: Beyond Thanksgiving Pie to Indigenous Reciprocity

  Whether you say PEE-can or puh-KAHN, the pecan’s story goes far beyond pie—it’s a centuries-old staple first cultivated by Native Americans, who formed reciprocal relationships with the tree. This story explores how pecans shaped migration, trade, and diets, and how modern cultivation risks disrupting that delicate balance.
  nut, tree, temperate
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  What We Know Now: Tracing the Tamarack

  The Tamarack tree, or Larix laricina, holds deep cultural and ecological significance, especially in Ojibwe traditions where it symbolizes humility and reciprocity. This story explores the tree’s seasonal rhythms, its role in Indigenous storytelling and Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and its potential as a symbol for conservation and interconnectedness with the natural world.
  tree, conifer, wetland, cold-hardy