Kowhai Tree Facts

1.Trees help our soil remain healthy by reducing soil erosion and by creating a soil climate suitable for microorganism to grow.

2.There are over 23,000 different kinds of trees in the world.

3.A healthy tree can increase your property value by as much as 27 percent while trees with dead branches, hollow cavities and other problems can decrease your property value.

4.Evergreen trees are green year round because they do not lose all of their leaves in one season. Most will however lose some of their oldest leaves just before they produce new leaves in the spring. Some will lose part of their leaves in the fall.

5.A tree can absorb as much as 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year and can sequester 1 ton of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old.

6.Tree leaves are composed of many colored pigments -- green chlorophyll hides them during the spring and summer growing seasons. Shorter days and cool temperatures in the fall cause the chlorophyll to break down and the other pigments to be see.

7.Every state has an official State Tree. We do not have a national tree, however, there is a campaign to have the oak adopted as our National Tree.

8.Arbor Day, a day site aside to plant and recognize the importance of trees, is not a national holiday. If fact the day observed varies from state to state.

9.Tree wood is a highly organized arrangement of living, dying, and dead cells.

10.Hundreds of food products (fruit, coffee, nuts, etc.) and food additives (for ice cream, chewing gum, etc.) come from trees.