A Druid's Handbook to the Spiritual Power of Plants: Spagyrics in Magical and Sexual Rituals - Jon G. Hughes 2014

The Life Cycle of The Tree
The Tree
Assessing the Natural Resources

Trees have long been associated with the Druids; in fact, most people’s vision of the classic Druid would have him or her standing in a grove of trees or beneath a mighty oak. In addition to this almost iconic imagery, trees also play a major role in the plant lore developed by the Druids. But unlike many of the traditions found in the Far East and other areas of Europe, Druidic lore uses both the physical and spiritual (magical) properties of the tree. Once again, as with the flower, it is necessary to first look at the tree’s life cycle and place in nature before we can begin to understand its use.

The Life Cycle of The Tree

Whether or not we appreciate it, trees play a major role in each of our lives. I am sure you would not have to look far from where you are reading this book to see at least one of the products of the trees we sacrifice for our convenience and pleasure. Wood has been one of humanity’s most useful materials throughout our brief history on this planet, but few people appreciate the significance of the living tree in our lives and its place in the continued existence of all living things.

A single tree may have a life span of hundreds, even thousands, of years, during which time it may take up to 440 gallons (2,000 liters) of water from the ground annually. This water, along with dissolved mineral nutrients, is transported from the roots, through the tree, to the leaves, where, using sunlight and carbon dioxide, the tree transforms them through a process called photosynthesis into the energy-rich sugars it needs for its growth. Eventually, most of the water taken up by the tree is released through the leaves as water vapor. As this vapor enters the atmosphere, it is carried by the winds and will fall elsewhere as rain, which nourishes yet another plant or animal.

As you can see, each individual tree is responsible for the circulation of vast amounts of water during its lifetime, but if we take a moment to consider the effect that a whole forest has on our environment, we begin to see the importance of the tree in our ecology.

The reproductive process of most trees follows the same sequence as most other plants. Trees produce either flowers, cones, or catkins in order to reproduce. Most of these bear both the male and female parts and are called hermaphrodites. Alternatively, there may be separate male and female flowers either on the same tree or on different trees. In some cases, notably the ash, yew, and most of the hollies, the individual trees are either male or female. Conifers bear the male and female parts on the scales of separate male and female cones.

The structure and function of the flowers of the tree are the same as those for the flowers of the other plants we have seen in the previous section. Cones and catkins hold the same reproductive parts as the flower, though these may be found in various different locations.

All trees are perennial, seed-bearing plants and are either conebearing—most of the softwoods—or flowering plants, which account for most of the hardwoods. In general terms, trees fall into two broad categories: evergreen and deciduous. Evergreen trees are those that retain their foliage throughout the year, continually shedding their older leaves and replacing them with new ones. Most evergreens in the regions occupied by the Celtic races are needle-leaf evergreens. Deciduous trees are broad leafed and lose their leaves each year at the onset of winter.