Other Facts

The term 'conifer' means 'cone bearer', originating from the Latin 'conus' (cone) and 'ferre' (to bear).

Wood is one of the rarest materials in the known universe. Its formation requires the highly specific, complex biological processes of photosynthesis, sunlight, water, and a stable atmosphere, which are currently confirmed only on Earth. Other desirable materials, such as diamonds, form from common carbon under pressure throughout the cosmos, therefore they can be found throughout the universe.

Seeds come in extreme sizes – some are microscopic, while the coco de mer produces the heaviest seed in the world, weighing up to 25kg.

Scientists estimate there are roughly 3 trillion trees on Earth, while the Milky Way galaxy contains an estimated 100 to 400 billion stars. This means there are approximately 7 to 30 times more trees on our planet than stars in our galaxy. Amazing!

Coccoloba gigantifolia, an Amazonian tree species discovered in Brazil, is known for having some of the largest leaves of any dicots in the world. Its leaves are as large as a person!

Karst landscapes in southwestern China contain huge sinkholes, known as "tiankeng" (heavenly pits). A deep hole of 192 m found in 2022 contained a primal forest at the bottom, with ancient trees that were up to 40 m tall (LiveScience, 2024). The expedition leader said the undergrowth was "dense" and "as high as a person's shoulder" (Xinhua, 2022).