Are Trees Getting Fat Too?

In spite of the fact that pampering with proper care and management are better than ever before, woody plants are accumulating no more fat today than they did centuries ago. If anything, the rise in the number of certified arborists, master gardeners, and professional landscape managers applying their skills along with enforcement of clean air standards have resulted in healthier plants in our urban environments. Nevertheless, the credit for keeping the “weight off” of trees and shrubs is not due to better care by trained professionals and plant health experts, but instead is inherent in important differences between plants and animals. Fats do occur in woody plants and some parts of their anatomical structures even accumulate fat at high concentrations. Still no woody plants are considered overweight and unfit.