In
botany, a
tree is a
perennial plant with an elongated stem, or
trunk, supporting branches and leaves in most species. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only
woody plants with
secondary growth, plants that are usable as
lumber or plants above a specified height. Trees are not a taxonomic group but include a variety of plant species that have independently evolved a woody trunk and branches as a way to tower above other plants to compete for sunlight. In looser senses, the taller
palms, the
tree ferns,
bananas and
bamboos are also trees. Trees tend to be long-lived, some reaching several thousand years old. The tallest known tree, a
coast redwood named
Hyperion, stands high. Trees have been in existence for 370 million years. It is estimated that there are just over 3 trillion mature trees in the world.