The World of Trees

Posted by Sharon Falsetto May 20, 2009

Trees are all around us but we often taken them for granted. Many trees have been around for thousands of years and some trees live for thousands of years including the baobab tree of Africa and the European oak tree. New Zealand is home to many unique trees found only in New Zealand but perhaps the most well known of the trees of New Zealand is the kauri, a gentle giant who dominates the forests of North New Zealand.

Many trees provide us with valuable resources of food and medicine in various forms. The citrus trees are known for their healing properties both in their fruit and in essential oils produced such as lemon, mandarin, petitgrain, orange blossom and grapefruit essential oils. The pine trees too have healing properties, including the scotch pine.

More 'exotic' trees, such as the eucalyptus trees and the cananga trees, are native to the warmer climates of Australia and Asia but also have healing properties of essential oils, including ylang ylang. In addition, trees often associated with colder climates, such as cedarwood, juniper and cypress are known for producing essential oils.

When visiting places such as the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, it is possible to see trees found only growing at higher elevations. In the Mediterranean, common trees include pine and oak forests. Perhaps one of the most favorite trees has to be the chocolate tree! Botanically, the chocolate tree is known as the cacao tree but is well known for its use in the production of chocolate, hence its nickname.

So, next time you take a walk in the forest, or just your own backyard, give some thought to the trees to be found there; many of them have been around a lot longer than you think...