Scientists have mapped microbe populations in human guts, deep-sea ecosystems and even clouds. Yet the microbial communities inside tree trunks have remained largely unseen until now. For a recent ...

The center of a tree or shrub stem (from roots to trunk, branches, and twigs) is woody, composed of xylem cells that conduct water from the roots to the upper parts of the tree. That woody section is ...

Every garden is a thing of beauty in the growing seasons — spring bulbs, summer flowers and fall foliage all carry on with extravagance. But winter is coming, so the colorful garden superstars will ...

Bark from a rainbow eucalyptus, by Christopher Martin. Older bark layers in shades of pastel purple, rusty red, and burnt orange peel away to reveal younger layers in chartreuse and dark green hues.

The bark of many pines and firs is scale-like, characterized by loonie-sized discs or plates that cover a tree. As these conifers mature, the bark plate layers remain thin enough for the tree to ...