Old Trees Preservation

Comments focus on remarkable old or giant trees, their growth and survival in urban areas despite threats like vandalism and human interference, and ideas for planting resilient species like CRISPR-modified hardwoods.

📉 Falling 0.3x Science
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#4369
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Keywords

PNW IPA e.g monumentaltrees.com smithsonianmag.com CRISPR en.m CT www.daf qld.gov trees tree growth grow shade plant forest branches planted crown

Sample Comments

bazoom42 Oct 4, 2025 View on HN

It is not the wind, it is the sheep which eat the trees before the grow big. Trees grow in some gardens and parks, so it is possible.

drjasonharrison Jul 27, 2019 View on HN

I have seen the effect of neighboring trees on cut trees in the campgrounds of British Columbia. Tree stumps left when a tree was removed and then fully covered in bark as if it were a tree with no branches. No cut surface to be seen.

drak0n1c Sep 24, 2023 View on HN

Imagine CRISPR hardwood trees that rapidly grow as tall as Redwoods while maintaining their broad cover and proportions. Would be great both for lumber and to plant in neighborhoods. A Navi/night-elf tree for every subdivision. Having the view and the shade in hot weather may be worth the risks of permanent shading and falling limbs. As long as they're sterile.

hisyam Aug 23, 2021 View on HN

You can plant trees that doesn't have pavement-breaking roots.

gnabgib Apr 2, 2024 View on HN

Source article from 2022 (of which this is meta about): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-old-man-an...

baq Jan 29, 2021 View on HN

trees 300-500 years old are not unusual. organisms can grow without blowing themselves or their ecosystems up.

mym1990 Sep 18, 2023 View on HN

Can you expand on the difference between climate change friendly and non climate change friendly trees, for the noobs like me?

vba Aug 3, 2019 View on HN

Interested if places with evergreen trees (e.g. PNW) fair better than areas with mostly deciduous trees?

rbanffy Aug 10, 2012 View on HN

You are neglecting all the effort the trees put into growing big enough, since probably before you were born, so you could readily use them.

dang Dec 24, 2023 View on HN

Related. Others?Crown Shyness - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33217484 - Oct 2022 (1 comment)The mystery of tree 'crown shyness' - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24431062 - Sept 2020 (1 comment)Crown shyness - <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item