Lightning is often seen as a killer, leaving behind destruction and death of trees — but one tropical species has evolved to use the force of nature to its benefit. The tonka bean tree, scientifically ...

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Scientists discover trees in the lowland rainforests of Panama that use lightning strikes to ...

While lightning is a fascinating phenomenon, it's also infamous in its capacity for destruction and the danger it poses to life. Each year, lightning claims hundreds of millions of trees worldwide, ...

In a rainforest teeming with competition, one tree has discovered how to turn catastrophe into advantage. In Panama’s dense lowland jungle, a tropical species called Dipteryx oleifera—known locally as ...

Before a discovery in a Panamanian rainforest, “it seemed impossible that lightning could be a good thing for the trees,” a scientist said. By Rebecca Dzombak When lightning strikes a tree in the ...

Lightning strikes are common in Florida, including Jacksonville. Trees struck by lightning may not need to be removed, as the damage varies depending on the intensity of the strike. It's crucial to ...

The tonka bean tree can survive a lightning strike, and thrive. Lightning strikes may kill untold numbers of trees every year, but one tropical species has evolved to benefit from the sudden jolts of ...

New research suggests that Dipteryx oleifera trees, after being struck by lightning, are 14 times more likely to produce offspring. Reading time 3 minutes If you’re stuck outside in the middle of a ...

Lightning strikes kill millions of trees each year — but it turns out that some large tropical trees can not only survive a strike, but also benefit from its effects, according to a recent study. The ...

A first-of-its-kind study estimates that lightning strikes kill 320 million trees every year. For perspective, these dead trees account for up to 2.9 percent of annual loss in plant biomass and emit ...

Trees struck by lightning may not need to be removed, as the damage varies depending on the intensity of the strike. It's crucial to address immediate hazards like broken branches, but wait a few ...