Friday Fun Facts About Trees and Plants

Montana is the fourth largest state in the union with a population of close to one million residents. As you can imagine there is no shortage of open space and a large majority of that open space is filled with trees.

Due to our geographical location and altitude, we have a very short growing season. Certain plants and trees exist in Montana that would not survive in other parts of the country. The reverse is true in other parts of North America as well. Palm trees thrive in southern California but would have a tough time with Montana winters.

Friday Fun Facts About Trees

The largest living things on earth are The Giant Sequoia trees that are among the tallest and biggest in width. The Coastal Redwoods of California are taller than the Giant Sequoias but the sequoias are much larger in both trunks and branches. Here are some tree fun facts.

• Sequoias are the fastest growing trees in the world.
• The bark can be as much as 4 feet thick and 50 foot long branches hover 100 feet off the ground.
• They have a life span of over 3,000 years.
• The largest trees can have a diameter of 35 feet and a height of 300 feet.
• The tallest known giant sequoia is 311 feet tall and the tallest redwood comes in at 367 feet.
• These giants grow up to 1 to 2 feet per year until they reach 200 to 300 feet high then like us they start to grow outward. The best growing conditions are at 6,500 feet above sea level.
• The Tule Cypress Tree in Mexico has a diameter of 51.6 feet but much shorter than the red wood or sequoia.

Friday Fun Facts About Plants

• Serving in Vietnam I got to see a lot of bamboo. Bamboo can grow almost 3 feet in a single day.
• Plants are a big part of our daily diet. Humans dine on 2,000 different types of plants for their daily calories.
• There are over 200,000 plant species in the world and more are being found every day.
• Coal is a byproduct of plant matter. Plant matter found on the floor of swamps through metamorphosis can be turned into coal.

Some Final Thoughts

Plants and trees are also instrumental in converting carbon dioxide into oxygen that keeps our atmosphere breathable. Trees are used in the making of building products, paper, furniture, shade, and a host of other uses.

Plants are used for food, clothing, decoration, and to make that birthday or anniversary a little happier. So the next time you pass a tree or plant say thank you for a job well done.

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