Enjoy the ride

CORK OAK

Life is a journey, and even if everything doesn’t always go according to plan, it’s important to try to find ways to dance in the rain, rather than waiting for the storm to pass. The cork oak has a very special talent that humans have valued for thousands of years. It has a thick, springy bark that it uses to protect itself from all sorts of things, not least grass fires. And even when local people help themselves to some of it, usually to pop in the top of a nice bottle of wine, the cork oak doesn’t mind. Admittedly, it might look a bit naked for a while, but it just carries on regardless and gets busy growing some more. Its resilience and uniqueness make it a king among trees and precious in its native Portugal.

Don’t be wasteful

BLACK TUPELO

Trees are great examples of how to make the most of our resources and use what we have as efficiently as possible. For instance, trees such as the black tupelo might look like they are just showing off with their blazing autumn leaf displays, but they are in fact being admirably frugal. Before they chuck away their leaves, deciduous trees make sure to recycle anything that might be useful next year. They reabsorb the green chlorophyll, which leaves behind the yellow and orange colors of chemicals called carotenoids, and the red and purple hues of anthocyanins. Recycling never looked so good.

Offer shelter to others

NEEM

Our relationships with others are important–we all need intimacy and love, and looking after others gives us a sense of purpose and empathy, which in turn can help to reduce stress and anxiety. In its home countries of India and Pakistan, the neem is often found in drought-prone areas where nothing much else will grow, its large canopy providing welcome shade. Its leaves are edible and also contain powerful insect-repelling chemicals, while its nectar is popular with bees. It’s not surprising that there’s a lot of love for this useful and generous tree.

Put down strong roots

JUNIPER

Trees show us that it’s possible to flourish anywhere if we put down strong enough roots. Take the juniper. It grows in dry, arid places such as Utah, where it can look like it has sprouted from solid rock. This very determined tree has a tap, or central, root that anchors it to the rock and can grow 40 feet straight down in search of water. It’s so strong that it can push its way into rock crevices. The juniper also has smaller roots that spread out sideways so they can quickly slurp up water from a rain shower before it runs away.

You don’t have to be the star of the show

SILVER BIRCH

Taking pride in your work, even when it seems humble, can bring real satisfaction. The silver birch can’t really give itself a pat on the back, which is a shame because this tree has been working hard since the last ice age. When a clearing is created, it’s the sprightly and stylish silver birch that, partly thanks to the wind dispersing its tiny seeds, goes in first and prepares the ground for the other trees. And then, as its lifecycle is only about eighty years, it pops off and lets the new woodland get on with it, without expecting so much as a thank-you card.

Be careful which way you lean

COOK PINE

“A tree falls the way it leans,” says Dr. Seuss, so make sure you’re leaning toward the right things in life and relying on the right people. Generally, trees prefer to grow straight; their cells contain little pocket-shaped structures that quite literally tell them which way is up. The tall, slim Cook pine, however, has adopted a more innovative approach to gravity: It likes to lean. Wherever these trees are, they tilt toward the equator, increasing the angle depending on their distance from it. Scientists think that this bold move might be to maximize the sunshine the leaves receive at different latitudes. So, like the Cook pine, try to tilt toward what’s good for you.

Be flexible

HAZEL

“Bend so you don’t break” is a motto all trees agree with, and one humans can use, too. Trees have to be able to flex so they aren’t knocked flat by strong winds, in the same way that we need to adapt when life throws us a curveball. In terms of resilience and flexibility, the hazel is the yogi of trees. It is self-coppicing, which means it sends up new shoots from the base of its trunk every year. These shoots grow into straight and supple rods, which have proved indispensable to humans for thousands of years. “Tough but bendy” is very much the hazel way.

Happiness is a choice

LILAC

As a famous song once instructed, you’ve got to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. If the lilac had its own theme tune, it would probably choose this one. It knows that deciding to focus on the good things is the first step on the path to feeling happy. This little tree often finds itself growing in poor soil or in polluted urban environments, but for two weeks every year it still flowers its heart out, producing beautiful, fragrant blooms that attract numerous bees and butterflies.

Save for a rainy day

JARRAH

It’s easier to be more mindful in the present if we feel secure about what the future might bring. Knowing we have something to draw on in tough times–whether that’s emotionally, practically, or financially–is very reassuring. Similarly, the jarrah hopes that any bushfire to come through its Australian home will pass by quickly, just lightly toasting its trunk. However, if anything more serious happens, it has taken out an insurance policy: Just below the ground, it grows a store of nutrients known as a lignotuber, from which another jarrah can grow should it die. If the damage is less serious, it can also sprout new buds from its trunk. Either way, it’s got something in the bank.

Get in touch with your spiritual side

PEEPAL

There are almost as many interpretations of “spirituality” as there are types of tree, but whatever it means to you, it starts with finding a way to connect to an inner voice that can lead you toward a sense of peace. You could say that the peepal, or bodhi tree, is one of the most spiritual of trees. In the sixth century BC, Buddha reached enlightenment while meditating under one. From Pakistan, all across India, to Myanmar, it remains an everyday reminder of life’s spiritual side. Shrines are built under them, and “to visit the peepal tree” is another way of saying you are going to pray. With a healthy lifespan of up to 1,500 years, the peepal is a good example of the comfort and strength we can all draw from a little bit of positive belief.