In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually suppor ng branches
and leaves. In some usages, the defini on of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants
with secondary growth, plants that are usable as lumber or plants above a specified height. In wider
defini ons, the taller palms, tree ferns, bananas, and bamboos are also trees.
Trees are not a monophyle c taxonomic group but consist of a wide variety of plant species
that have independently evolved a trunk and branches as a way to tower above other plants to
compete for sunlight. The majority of tree species are angiosperms or hardwoods; of the rest, many
are gymnosperms or so woods. Trees tend to be long-lived, some trees reaching several thousand
years old. Trees evolved around 400 million years ago, and it is es mated that there are around three
trillion mature trees in the world currently.
A tree typically has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground by the trunk, which
typically contains woody ssue for strength, and vascular ssue to carry materials from one part of
the tree to another. For most trees the trunk is surrounded by a layer of bark which serves as a
protec ve barrier. Below the ground, the roots branch and spread out widely; they serve to anchor
the tree and extract moisture and nutrients from the soil. Above ground, the branches divide into
smaller branches and shoots. The shoots typically bear leaves, which capture light energy and
convert it into sugars by photosynthesis, providing the food for the tree's growth and development.
Trees usually reproduce using seeds. Flowering plants have their seeds inside fruits, while conifers
carry their seeds in cones, and tree ferns produce spores instead.
Trees play a significant role in reducing erosion and modera ng the climate. They remove carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere and store large quan es of carbon in their ssues. Trees
and forests provide a habitat for many species of animals and plants. Tropical rainforests are among
the most biodiverse habitats in the world. Trees provide shade and shelter, mber for construc on,
fuel for cooking and hea ng, and fruit for food as well as having many other uses. In much of the
world, forests are shrinking as trees are cleared to increase the amount of land available for
agriculture. Because of their longevity and usefulness, trees have always been revered, with sacred
groves in various cultures, and they play a role in many of the world's mythologies.
Defini on
Diagram of secondary growth in
a eudicot or coniferous tree showing idealised ver cal and horizontal sec ons. A new layer of wood
is added in each growing season, thickening the stem, exis ng branches and roots.
Although "tree" is a common word, there is no universally recognised precise defini on of what a
tree is, either botanically or in common language.[1][2] In its broadest sense, a tree is any plant with
the general form of an elongated stem, or trunk, which supports the photosynthe c leaves or
branches at some distance above the ground.[3] Trees are also typically defined by height,[4] with
smaller plants from 0.5 to 10 m (1.6 to 32.8 ) being called shrubs,[5] so the minimum height of a tree
is only loosely defined.[4] Large herbaceous plants such as papaya and bananas are trees in this broad
sense.[2][6]
A commonly applied narrower defini on is that a tree has a woody trunk formed by secondary
growth, meaning that the trunk thickens each year by growing outwards, in addi on to the primary
upwards growth from the growing p.[4][7] Under such a defini on, herbaceous plants such as palms,
bananas and papayas are not considered trees regardless of their height, growth form or stem girth.
Certain monocots may be considered trees under a slightly looser defini on;[8] while the Joshua tree,
bamboos and palms do not have secondary growth and never produce true wood with growth
rings,[9][10] they may produce "pseudo-wood" by lignifying cells formed by primary growth.[11] Tree
species in the genus Dracaena, despite also being monocots, do have secondary growth caused by
meristem in their trunk, but it is different from the thickening meristem found in dicotyledonous
trees.[12]