Opinion: Limits to tree growth and longevity (TIPS)

I think trees are awesome, and I mean that in the truest sense of the word. They dwarf us in height, and when we look at a tree that has lived for hundreds or thousands of years it is impossible not to think of that span in terms of human generations and human history. But, trees don’t live or grow forever. In this fascinating Opinion, Munné-Bosch explores why trees have limits (and at the same time, why these limits are comparatively so big). Distributed meristems decrease the accumulation of mutations at any one growing point, secondary vascular tissues, and stress resistance and resilience all contribute to the loveliness and awesomeness of trees. (Summary by Mary Williams) Trends Plant Sci. 10.1016/j.tplants.2018.08.001