Short answers, pulled from the story.
The first tree to conquer dry land was Wattieza, which existed approximately 385 million years ago in what is now New York state. This ancient tree fern produced spores instead of seeds and established the architectural blueprint for all future forests.
Trees communicate through mycorrhizal fungi that form a mutualistic relationship with tree roots dating back four hundred million years. This network, known as the Wood Wide Web, allows trees to transfer nutrients, water, and chemical warnings to their neighbors.
A tree reaches its theoretical maximum height of about 138 meters before facing the physical limit of its ability to siphon water against gravity. This constraint dictates the ultimate size of the forest giants and is determined by the balance of cellulose and lignin.
Tree leaves adapt to environments through specialized structures like needle-like leaves in cold regions or broad leaves in temperate zones. Some species shed leaves to survive winter or conserve water, while others produce thorns, tannins, or poisons to discourage herbivores.
Tree seeds travel through strategies such as wind dispersal with papery wings, animal transport via fleshy fruits, or explosive pods that shoot seeds through the air. Some seeds like those of the jack pine require forest fire heat to open cones, while mangrove seeds germinate while still attached to the parent tree.
The General Sherman Tree is the largest tree by volume, the coast redwood known as Hyperion is the tallest at over 115 meters, and the Great Basin bristlecone pine is the oldest living tree at over 4,800 years old. The Árbol del Tule in Mexico has the broadest trunk with a girth of over 38 meters.