Long live trees. I love this observation by a dendrologist who has brought to our attention the hidden life and communication of trees. I also love that trees operate on their own timescale and in so doing display an apparent disinterest in a ‘scientfically established imperative’.

The oldest I have visited is a linden tree planted next to a 14th century church with which it is a contemporary. It’s the second oldest tree in Switzerland: lindens were commonly planted beside the church in German or Swiss villages.

‘The shorter the interval before the next generation, the most quickly animals and plants can adapt. Trees seem completely uninterested in this scientifically established imperative. They simply live to be ancient – on average many hundreds, but sometimes even thousands, of years old.’

Source: Peter Wohlleben, The Hidden Life of Trees, trans. Jane Billinghurst (London: William Collins, 2017), pp. 195-96

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