“A tree is a tree, that’s all it can be”.

We started saying this in class while studying forestry many years ago. It had a very Zen-like feel to it back then. I’m not sure who coined it – one of my classmates, or some obscure poet. But as I was assembling this collection of strange and weird trees, I thought back to that quote as I pondered what a tree actually is.

The simplest explanation is that a tree is a big long-lived self-supporting plant with leaves and wood. But if you ask people what a tree is, there are many answers to be had. Trees mean different things to different people.

*To an urban dweller, trees increase property values, provide shade, moderate noise, and reduce smog and pollution.

*To an ecologist, trees improve soil and water conservation, store carbon, and contribute to the stability and resiliency of the ecosystems we inhabit.

*To a wilderness lover, trees are part of the wildland which improves our mental health while supporting our physical health.

*To a wildlife biologist, trees are a critical part of habitat for wildlife.

*To a tree hugger, who is passionate about protecting nature and the environment, trees are spiritual beings.

*To a builder, trees provide the lumber, plywood, and composite products which comprise the backbone of our houses and buildings, as well as materials for furniture making.

*To a woods worker, trees are a reliable source of livelihood.

*To a kid, trees are there to climb, build treehouses in, and hide behind.

*To a farmer, trees provide food (nuts and fruit), reduce wind, and manage blowing snow.

*To the average person, trees provide all sorts of paper products, and are in many personal care items. They are can provide heat and electricity, and are found in N-95 face masks.

I just learned that until about ten years ago, ping pong balls were made from the wood component celluloid, a mixture of nitrocellulose (used in nail polish) and the plant-based plasticizer camphor.

When we think about what a tree mean to us, (one of the estimated 3 trillion trees around the world), I find it worthwhile to put myself in others shoes, before I take a too strongly polarized view.

As I wonder why I have been collecting images of the strangeness called a tree, I think about the words my friend and fellow forestry grad Brent Ferris once said “…because, trees are people too”.

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What is a tree?