Trees

Smithsonian magazine’s top science titles this year.

The Ten Best Science Books of 2024

From a deep dive on a fatal space shuttle disaster to a study of a dozen iconic trees, these are our favorite titles this year

At dawn, a woman and her dog walk along a serene shore in the Corona Del Mar area of Newport Beach as gentle waves greet them.

See 15 Stunning Photos of California That Showcase the Golden State's Majestic Beauty

California offers lovely beaches, forests, deserts, mountains and more!

Pocket gophers are a type of burrowing rodent known for their extensive tunnels.

How a Team of Gophers Restored Mount St. Helens After Its Catastrophic Eruption With Less Than a Day of Digging

After the volcanic eruption of 1980, scientists released the burrowing rodents for only a brief time, but their activities left a remarkably enduring impact, according to a new study

The crowning glory of the Gardenia brighamii is its pearly flower.

Can Fungi Save This Endangered Hawaiian Tree?

By inoculating greenhouse na’u seedlings with mycorrhizal fungi, researchers hope to boost survival odds when the plants are returned to the wild

At least 16,425 of the 47,282 tree species examined in a new IUCN report are at risk of extinction.

More Than One in Three Tree Species Around the Globe Are at Risk of Disappearing, New Report Finds

An assessment from the International Union for Conservation of Nature paints a grim picture of the extinction risk of the world's trees

An aerial view of the new park modeled after Vincent van Gogh's 1889 masterpiece The Starry Night

This Park Recreates Vincent van Gogh's 'The Starry Night' With a Dazzling Display of Plants, Trees and Winding Pathways

At a new park in Bosnia and Herzegovina, two dozen gardeners have spent years replicating the Dutch artist's masterpiece using the land as their canvas

Two lynx shelter from the wind behind their parent, who looks into the camera.

See 15 Winning Images From the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest

Breathtaking shots shine a light on the wonders of wildlife and the threats that human activities pose to the natural world

Leaf senescence creates a golden canopy over a trail in the Harvard Forest.

What 30 Years of Studying the New England Woods Reveals About the Colors of Changing Leaves

An ecologist’s long walks and detailed observations allowed him to chronicle the shifts in an iconic habitat and grow a once-overlooked branch of science

Seemingly still waters wind through colorful canopies displaying warm autumn hues on a hazy September morning.

See 24 Beautiful Photos of Fall Foliage in Its Most Vibrant Colors

These highlights from the Smithsonian Photo Contest celebrate the autumn

An image of the famous Sycamore Gap tree before it was illegally cut down in 2023

One Year After England's Famous Sycamore Gap Tree Was Illegally Felled, a New Exhibition Honors Its Legacy

The show coincides with an initiative that will give away 49 of the tree's saplings to individuals and communities across the country

The Prometheus tree once stood in this grove on a mountain in Nevada.

How One Researcher Accidentally Killed One of the Oldest Trees in the World

In 1964, a graduate student cut down a bristlecone pine in Nevada. The tree, now known as Prometheus, turned out to be nearly 5,000 years old

Ning Zeng and other researchers discovered this 3,775-year-old preserved log while conducting a wood vaulting pilot project in Quebec, Canada.

This 3,775-Year-Old Log May Hold the Secret to a Low-Cost Climate Solution

Researchers say burying wood could be a viable method to prevent carbon from reaching the atmosphere

The viewfinders were installed at all 43 Virginia state parks.

Virginia State Parks Install Viewfinders for People With Colorblindness, Just in Time for Leaf-Peeping Season

The viewfinders are outfitted with special lenses that help people with red-green colorblindness distinguish between hues

The color-coded map shows predictions for each week between September 2 and November 18.

This Map Lets You See When Magnificent Fall Foliage Will Peak in Your Area

Use the interactive tool's week-by-week, county-by-county predictions to start planning your leaf-peeping trips across the United States

Gambel oak branchlet

This Massive New Guidebook Will Forever Change the Way You Look at Trees

Written by Smithsonian botanist W. John Kress, the book details more than 300 North American tree species in words, maps and photographs—and why we shouldn't take them for granted

Partially submerged trees are reflected in the waters of a dam lake.

Honor the Natural Beauty of These Tremendous Trees With 15 Photographs From the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

Find your inner Lorax and enjoy the glory of the forest and the trees in these submissions

The European ant species Lasius emarginatus arrived to Manhattan around 2011 and has since become one of the most dominant ant species in the city.

Invasive 'ManhattAnts' Are Taking Over New York City and Spreading Quickly

Since appearing on Manhattan in 2011, the species has become one of the island's most dominant ants, and scientists formally identified it this year

An aerial photograph of Lahaina's banyan tree taken on August 3, 2024. A wildfire devastated the town in August 2023.

One Year After a Devastating Fire, Lahaina's 151-Year-Old Banyan Tree Is Healing

Arborists didn't know if the historic tree would survive, but they've been working to give it the best possible odds

A view of an over 400-year-old tree on Barro Colorodo Island, on November 23, 2015

Why Are Giant, Ancient Tropical Trees Dying?

Scientists from an international project are racing to figure out what kills these anchors of their ecosystems—before it's too late to save them

Project leader Laura Cinti visited the Wood's cycad at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London.

The 'World's Loneliest Plant' Could Soon Find a Mate With a Little Help From A.I.

The only known wild Wood's cycad was discovered in 1895, and it has since been cloned into many male trees. Now, researchers are scouring a forest in South Africa for an elusive female specimen

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