15 Awesome, Intreeguing, and Unbelievable Tree Facts, Stats, & Trends For 2021

There’s always time for awesome tree facts! Do you know where the oldest tree in the world is? How about the tallest tree? Or how about one of the coolest facts about trees – that they’re immortal?!

Keep on reading to find everything you need to know and discover why trees have a plot even more exciting than the latest Bond film.

(Website owners and tree lovers: we fact check, update, and expand this article every few months. That way, you’ll always find accurate and up-to-date tree facts. Why not link to our post directly and share it on social media? Your friends and fans will love you for having direct access to the latest tree knowledge and data).

Nature Tree Facts

What’s The Oldest Tree In The World?

Of all the facts about trees, this one causes the most debate by far. Scientists were pretty sure that the oldest tree in the world was Methuselah until 2013.

These days, it’s believed to be Prometheus which, incredibly, was felled back in 1964 – making Methuselah the oldest known living tree in the world.

They’re both Great Basin bristlecone pines, and they’re nearly 5,000 years old!

Others believe it’s Old Tjikko, found in northern Sweden, since it’s nearly 10,000 years old. While that’s true, it’s actually a clonal tree, and therefore can’t technically be the oldest one.

Who knew these ancient trees could cause so much debate?

What’s The Tallest Tree In The World?

This is one of the easier tree facts! The world’s tallest tree is a coast redwood, found in Redwood National Park in California, USA. It’s called Hyperion, and it’s said to be roughly 116m high.

That means it’s taller than Big Ben, taller than the Statue of Liberty, and longer than a soccer field!

You’ll have to take our word for this one – because the tree’s exact location is a secret. That way it’s protected, and we can keep it as one of the best tree facts for a very long time.

How Many Species Of Tree Are There?

We’ve discovered just over 60,000 species of tree – so far. 

Who knows how many different types of tree there could truly be? We firmly believe that the more, the better.

Can Trees Store Carbon?

Now one of our favorite tree facts! Trees are natural carbon sinks, and they’re Mother Earth’s own specialized weapon in the fight against climate change.

Again, the science is complicated, since different trees store different amounts of carbon (and in different conditions too).

But it’s a fact that trees sequester (aka “absorb”) carbon from the atmosphere and can even store it in their roots.

Do Trees Improve Air Quality?

There are so many benefits of trees! Turns out they also naturally clean our air and purify it by removing any pollutants.

Fun Tree Facts

We didn’t bore you with science class, did we? Good! Because it’s time for some of the more fun facts about trees.

And it begins with an evergreen one.

Are Trees Really Immortal?

Trees never die of old age. No, we’re serious – facts about trees will never stop surprising you. (They surely continuously surprise us.)

Certain types of trees are immortal and will never die because they get too old. They’ll only die from fire, drought, pest infestation, or even human interruption.

It’s important to keep this in mind when you plant a tree – its benefits last for a very long time.

Can Trees Talk to Each Other?

Now for some seriously sci-fi tree knowledge: trees can communicate, talk, and work together.

Should you be worried about a tree uprising? Is a WW3 against trees inevitable? After all, there are 400 times more trees than people on our planet…

No, of course not! Trees are our friends. And thankfully, they only communicate to fight predators together.

Airborne chemicals can be released to warn other nearby trees about pests, or fungi found deep in their roots can provide a platform for communication as well.

See how they talk to each other in this video:

Are Trees Good For Our Mental Health?

This is one of the most wholesome tree facts! Trees help to reduce stress and they even release chemicals that make us happier. Or at least, the chemicals that trees release (phytoncides) do.

Just by breathing in phytoncides our blood pressure and anxiety levels are reduced, among other things. This is one of the many reasons why forest bathing is becoming ever more popular.

Are Palm Trees Really Trees?

Everybody has the same image with palm trees, right? Except palm trees aren’t even trees! Instead, they’re “large woody herbs.” 

Loving these tree facts? Then share this article on your Facebook or Instagram and surprise your friends!

Is Bamboo A Tree?

What next? Is bamboo a tree? Or is it a fake as well?

It turns out bamboo isn’t a tree either. Instead, bamboo is a type of grass.

Lies, secret coding, and immortality. Who knew there could be so much drama in tree facts?!

Tree Stats and Trends

What’s The Most Common Type Of Tree?

Pine trees are the most common trees in the world – and that really is saying something. They’re found in every continent on our planet except for Antarctica. 

But as you already know, there are more than 60,000 different types of trees.

What’s The Total World Forest Area?

There are more than three trillion trees on our planet. Where are they all? And what percentage of Mother Earth is covered by them?

There are just over four billion hectares of forest cover on our planet – around 31% of global land area. Interestingly, around half of that is in just five different countries: Russia; Brazil; Canada; the USA; China.

Make it three trillion and one. Plant a tree today!

Which Country Has The Highest Forest Cover?

Russia has more forest cover than anywhere else in the world. Brazil is in second place, with Canada and the USA third and fourth respectively. 

Due to the current events this ranking may change soon… save this article in Evernote or your browser bookmarks and check back for updates!

Is Deforestation Still A Problem?

Unfortunately, deforestation is still a huge issue, and one we need to address. Every single day, 80,000 acres of forest disappears around the world.

That’s a whopping 15 billion trees per year. Yep – it’s time to plant more trees.

Are There Any Benefits With More Green Spaces?

More and more green spaces are appearing in urban areas all over the world. And there’s a reason for that.

Where there’s a 10% increase in green space (usually in urban areas), it reduces disease. So much so, that the reduction is equivalent to a life expectancy increase of five years.

More green space also increases property value and makes people happier (as mentioned above).

Are Companies Going Green?

In 2020 alone we partnered up with more than 100 businesses committed to planting trees. It’s no surprise.

These companies are now helping to save our planet! But on top of that, they’ll boost their own profits, too.

Curious? Just check out our I Love Sushi Case Study, where the sushi-makers saw a 22% increase in sales when they started planting trees.

What’s Your Favorite Tree Fact?

We hope you’ve enjoyed these tree facts as much as we have.

Join in with our Facebook conversations about your favorite tree facts and share your new tree knowledge on Instagram too.

You can see how important trees truly are, and why we need to keep on planting more trees.

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