Whenever you hear lumber or wood, all that comes into your mind is building, construction, crafting or packaging. But that’s not all to it because there is another side of wood; a fun and interesting side. So, today we are going to put a hold on the serious side and explore the interesting facts about lumber and trees.
1. Trees communicate with each other
Just like us, humans, trees also communicate with each other, and as crazy as it may sound, this is a fact. But of course, they don’t speak, because they don’t have a mouth in the first place and they do not know nor understand our language, which is why we can never detect their communication. Due to lack of a mouth and speech similar to ours, trees use chemicals as a communication tool. For instance, in the case of insect infestation, the first tree to be affected will send an airborne signal to the other trees, warning them of the danger.
Surprisingly, trees can go beyond communicating amongst themselves. When the harmful insects attack, the trees will attract predators and parasites to help kill the insects.
2. There are 60,000 kinds of trees in the world
It is quite ironical that trees which are more than 60,000 kinds in the world are ruled by human beings who are barely ten kinds. But of course, we have the brains, they don’t. Anyway, Brazil is the leading country in terms of the number of tree species it homes. More than 8700 tree varieties exist in that country.
3. World’s most dangerous tree
Manchineel tree in the Caribbean and Gulf Mexico is said to be the most dangerous tree in the world. The tree’s bark has sap all over it and when the sap gets on your skin, it causes blisters. The sap can also cause blindness in case it gets in your eyes. You might want to keep as far away from this tree as possible and don’t even think of taking shelter under it when it is raining because it will have the same effects.
4. Your home or land is more valuable with trees
Besides improving the natural appeal of land, trees also increase the value of land/property. According to The US Forest Service, mature trees can increase the value of a property by 20 percent. You are in even better luck if your property has hard, disease-resistant trees like Marple and oak.
5. The first tree to grow resembled a fern
Believe it or not, there was a time when the earth was bare and all you could see were tall fungi. There were no trees at all until 385 million years ago when the first fern-like tree sprouted off the ground.
6. Different tree parts grow during different seasons of the year
Naturally, as humans, our body parts grow almost simultaneously. But that’s not the case with trees. Winter and fall is the time meant for the root to grow, while the foliage and trunk grow in spring and summer respectively.
7. Trees reduce energy bills
If there are two exactly similar homes with no single difference except one has trees and the other doesn’t, the former will incur less energy cost. This is because trees block the sun from hitting your house directly. This reduces the level of hotness in the house and can be a great save on energy during the sunny periods.
These are the top interesting facts about lumber and trees. But, going back to the serious side, you can always get the best lumber deals and varieties with Sherwood Lumber
