The hidden life of trees

How often do we think about what goes on below the ground we walk on? Sometimes, I wonder how old the trees are and how deep their roots grow. Who planted them and what have they seen that I haven’t? When I found this quote, I was surprised to learn that trees can sense other trees.

“The average tree grows its branches out until it encounters the branch tips of a neighboring tree of the same height. It doesn’t grow any wider because the air and better light in this space are already taken. However, it heavily reinforces the branches it has extended, so you get the impression that there’s quite a shoving match going on up there. But a pair of true friends is careful right from the outset not to grow overly thick branches in each other’s direction. The trees don’t want to take anything away from each other, and so they develop sturdy branches only at the outer edges of their crowns, that is to say, only in the direction of “non-friends.” Such partners are often so tightly connected at the roots that sometimes they even die together.”
~ Peter Wohlleben, The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate