Stronger Together
TREE SOCIETY
It is like Avatar in your back garden, and it is the debate of our time. Scientists are only now discovering exactly how sentient and interconnected everything else around us is. Some trees have no limit to how long they live. One North American bristlecone pine, nicknamed Methuselah, is more than 5 000 years old.
Trees work together to deter predators. They can release airborne chemicals, such as tannins, either to warn other trees, or to deter predators by a bitter taste or scent.
Conversely, trees can release chemicals that actually attract predators in order to kill off an invasive parasite or pest. For example, the common apple tree releases a compound that attracts specific bird species that eat caterpillars.
Certain trees also release chemicals known as phytoncides. Medical research has proved that inhaling phytoncides not only contributes to increased feelings of calm, but also can reduce blood pressure, increase your pain threshold and even boost our levels of anticancer proteins.
Trees “talk” to one another, using a special mycorrhizal type of fungi that live on the roots of many trees. Older, so-called “mother” trees pick up on distress signals from surrounding trees, and can direct nutrients and water to that damaged individual.