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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Here it is, the season of same-old-same-old: same old freezing rain, same old snow, same old chill winds, gray skies and barren, shivering timbers. In most parts of the country, it is the season of ...

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.

In fall or winter, homeowners often discover young trees whose thin bark has been damaged by deer rub. Some trees may have patches where bark hangs in shreds, exposing the underlying wood; in others, ...