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Do trees sleep?

May 11, 2017
Drawing of sleeping tree,

Nearly all creatures exhibit differing behavior during the day and night. Songbirds sing and fly about during the day and roost at night. Owls forage for food primarily at night and rest during the day. Many of us have noticed how flowers seem to droop at night and appear to be sleeping before resuming a more erect posture at sunrise. Is it possible that despite the carbon reinforced bark trees do the same thing? New research says “Yes!”

It’s true! Trees droop their branches at night and lean over. This drooping is not the full bow often associated with a Broadway play in New York. Research scientists in Austria, Finland, and Hungary have used laser scanners to observe and record this “sleeping” behavior in silver birch (Betula  pendula) thus it is natural to assume other tree species behave similarly.

This leaning phenomenon has been calculated to only be 10 cm (~4 in in trees that were roughly 5 meters tall (16 ft 4 in). Repeated measurements have assured that these changes in overall tree height are genuine and repeatable.

Scientists ruled out wind, elevation, and other weather effects by conducting the experiment in both Finland and Austria.

Full article and animation can be found at Purdue Got Nature?, Do trees sleep?

Additional resources:
How do trees go to sleep, Technische Universität Wien
Scientists have found trees ‘sleep’ at night too, GeoBeats News, YouTube

Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources


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