Forests worldwide may be entering a new phase marked by fewer specialized tree species and more fast-growing generalists.

Probably the first pioneer plants to arrive in Hawaii were mosses and ferns. Ferns have been around for over 360 million years. Giant tree fern forests were common for millions of years but they gave ...

Plant biologists report that a species of tree fern found only in Panama reanimates its own dead leaf fronds, converting them into root structures that feed the mother plant. The fern, Cyathea ...

I know what you have seen in the news these last few days. Trees, and lots of them causing damage during this winter storm. I ...

Land plants evolved 470 million years ago from algae and have since reshaped our world. Throughout their evolution, ferns have undergone a series of changes that have helped them survive on land. For ...

People breathe out carbon dioxide, trees breathe in carbon dioxide. It’s one of the first things children learn about the carbon cycle, the paths carbon takes as it moves among the living and ...

Walking the woods of November is always a delight. On these “AutWin” days, there are no leaves on the trees and the snow has not yet coated the ground. And insect companions of the summer are no ...

Scientists have discovered a zombie tree that converts its leaves into roots as it dies. The Cyathea rojasiana tree fern, which is native to Panama in Central America, was studied by plant biologists ...

Ancient sediments reveal how rapid warming collapsed Arctic forests in centuries, triggering fires, erosion, and long-lasting ...

Henry Mustin popped open the trunk of his electric Volkswagen to reveal his arsenal: Loppers, pruners, saws and trowels, tucked into bags. Taking up the most space was Mustin’s weed wrench, an ...

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign plant biology professor James Dalling and his colleagues discovered that some tree ferns recycle their dead fronds into roots. The researchers call these ...