Speaking Trees

In Around the World in 80 Trees, JONATHAN DRORI brings out the unsung botanical heroes out of their recondite existence. He describes their geographical phylogeny, ecological services, and most importantly, their sociological importance. In fact, it is the human stories of myths and beliefs around their flora that make the book so extraordinary. He speaks to S S JEEVAN.

- S S Jeevan

The book unveils untold linkages between trees and history as well as culture. Could you share some experiences of your research journey?

Uncovering the entanglements between plant science, history and culture has been a joy. From the cork oak forests of the Iberian peninsula, to the link between the Eastern White Pine and the push for American independence, and from the birch trees of northern Finland and their association with hallucinogenic fungi, to the “resin rush” that attracted prospectors from all over the world to seek their fortunes in the Kauri forests of New Zealand, the bizarre antics of trees are second only to the strange things that human beings get up to!

Your book lucidly narrates the complex relationship of trees with other organisms and the ecosystem—birds, insects, animals and humans. What fascinated you the most?

I especially enjoy the link between plant science and human behaviour. For example, the lacquer tree of China and Japan has probably evolved its irritant, toxic sap as a defence mechanism to ward off pests.

But human beings have crafted from it the most exquisite lacquerware, a material that in the days before plastics must have been truly magical. And until the 19th century, there was a sect of Japanese monks who would starve themselves and use bark from the tree to make a tea that would gradually “mummify” them while still alive. When they died, their bodies would not decompose—they were too poisonous for that.