Foreword by Maria Popova Introduction: The Astonishing Strangeness of Trees Part 1: Seed & Root Preforest: Begin Again Seed Bank: A Forest Lies Waiting Sessile: How a Tree Wanders Samara: A Seed with Wings Catkin: Flowers Without Petals Mast: The Feast Stump Sprouts: From the Hidden Roots of Things Clonal: Self-Replicating to the End Rhizosphere: A Universe Among Roots Windthrow: Ripped from the Earth Taproot: The Myth of Digging Deeper Mycorrhiza: Everything Tangled Together Sap: From the Vein of the Tree Part 2: Growth & Repair Lignin: Form and Freedom Growth Rings: Of Ages and Empires Whorl: Around, Again Volatile Organic Compounds: Attraction and Repulsion Heartwood: What the Center Holds Lenticel: Breathing Through Bark Exfoliate: Growing and Shedding Gallery: A Beetle Rewrites the World Pitch: The Gift of Self-Healing Woundwood: A Memory Enclosed Gemel: Joined at the Wound Burl: Gnarled into Grace Witch's Broom: A Hospitable Mess Gall: A Wasp's Spell Krummholz: The Crooked Wood at Treeline Flagging: Taking the Shape of the Wind Frost Crack: Split Open by the Cold Thaw Circle: Ring of Warmth Part 3: Leaf & Blossom Leaf Bud: Kept in Reserve Terminal Bud: A Twig's Life Story Budbreak: Bursting into Tenderness Crown Shyness: A Complicated Truce Browse Line: A Forest Shaped by Deer Stomata: The Tiny Mouths of Leaves Petiole: How a Leaf Moves Apoptosis: The Letting Go Marcescence: Still Holding Fast Broadleaf Evergreen: First in Line for Spring Perfect Flowers: And All the Possibilities Tropism: Growing Toward Life Inflorescence: A Gathering of Flowers Photosynthesis: The Elemental Miracle Chlorophyll: Deep Green Chloroplasts: Harnessers of Life Part 4: Kinship & Resilience Duff: Decay and Renewal Throughfall: Finding a Way Earthward Understory: Thriving in Shadow Disturbance: The Next Beginning Wolf Tree: The Lone Sentinel Pyriscence: Built by Fire Serotinous: Waiting for Heat Succession: The Forest Unfolding Nurse Log: Life Embracing Death Pillows and Cradles: A Topography of the Fallen Old Growth: The Layered Process of Aging Decadence: Elegant Decline Snag: A Long Ending Refugium: A Promise of the World to Come Acknowledgments.