Tree Lifecycle

Baby, toddler, teenager, adult. These are all stages in the lifecycle of humans. Trees have stages in their lifecycle as well. An acorn grows into a sapling, a sapling grows to a giant oak tree, and giant oak trees die and fall to the forest floor. The giant oak tree that blows in the wind and is home to owls and squirrels today will one day be the fodder for worms. Trees are important parts of ecosystems at all stages of their lifecycle. Explore the lifecycle of trees and their essential role in ecosystems with Project Learning Tree’s “Tree Lifecycle”.

Enrichment activity:
Visit your local woodland and explore trees at different stages of their lifecycle, from seed to fallen log.

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Anthony, J. and C. Arbo. 1999. In a Nutshell. Dawn Publications.
Bash, B. 2002. Tree of Life: The World of the African Baobab. Sierra Club.
Bishop, N. 2004. Forest Explorer: A Life-Sized Field Guide. Scholastic, Inc.
Brenner, B. and T. Leonard. 2004. One Small Place in a Tree. HarperCollins Childrens Books.
Bunting, E. 1994. The Night Tree. Voyager Books.
Canizares, S., D. Moreton and B. Chessen. 1997. Who Lives in a Tree? Scholastic, Inc.
Charman, A. 2003. I Wonder Why Trees Have Leaves and Other Questions about Plants. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Costian, M. 2001. Life in a Tree: Focus, Habitat. Tandem Library.
Cotten, C. 2002. At the Edge of the Woods: A Counting Book. Henry Holt & Company, Incorporated.
Denver, J. 1990. Alfie the Christmas Tree. National Wildlife Federation.
DePalma, M.N. 2005. A Grand Old Tree. Scholastic, Inc.
DK Publishing. 2004. Forest. DK Publishing, Inc.
Donahue, M. 1988. The Grandpa Tree. Roberts Rinehart, Inc.
Doval, M. W. 1992. The Heart of the Wood. Simon & Schuster.
Gackenbach, D. 1996. Mighty Tree. Harcourt Children's Books.
Gaff, J. 2005. I Wonder Why Pine Trees Have Needles and Other Questions about Forests. Roaring Brook Press.
Gillespie, L. 2009. Trees. EDC Publishing.
Gove, D. and M. H. Mallory. My Mother Talks to Trees. Peachtree Publishers.
Guiberson, B. 1993. Cactus Hotel. Holt.
Hankin, R. 1995. Up the Tall Tree. Steck-Vaughn.
Ikids. 2009. Green Start: One Tree. Innovative Kids.
Iverson, D. 1999. My Favorite Tree: Terrific Trees of North America. Dawn Publications.
Kalman, B., K. Smithyman, and B. Bedell. 2002. The Life Cycle of a Tree. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Lavies, B. 1989. Tree Trunk Traffic. Penguin Group (USA), Inc.
Miller, D.S. and S. Schuett. 2003. Are Trees Alive? Walker & Company.
Pascoe, E. and D. Kuhn. 2003. Ecosystem of a Fallen Tree. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
Reed-Jones, C. 1995. Tree in the Ancient Forest. Dawn Publications.
Van Laan, N. 2000. A Tree for Me. Random House.
Worth, B. 2006. I Can Name 50 Trees Today!: All about Trees. Random House Publishing Group.

Grades 3-5
Anthony, J. and C. Arbo. 1999. In a Nutshell. Dawn Publications.
Bash, B. 2002. Tree of Life: The World of the African Baobab. Sierra Club.
Bernard, R. 2001. A Tree for All Seasons. National Geographic Children’s Books.
Bourgoing, P. 1992. The Tree. Scholastic First Discovery Books.
Brenner, B. 2004. One Small Place in a Tree. Morrow/Avon.
Burns, D.L. and L. Garrow. 1998. Trees, Leaves and Bark. T&N Children’s Publishing.
Canizares, S. 1997. Look at This Tree. Scholastic, Inc.
Denver, J. 1990. Alfie the Christmas Tree. National Wildlife Federation.
Doval, M. W. 1992. The Heart of the Wood. Simon & Schuster.
Dowden, A. The Blossom on the Bough: A Book of Trees. Thomas Y. Crowell.
Ehlert, L. 2005. Leaf Man. Harcourt Trade Publishers.
Garelick, M. & Brenner, B. 1979. The Tremendous Tree Book. Four Winds Press.
George, K. 1998. Old Elm Speaks. Clarion Books.
Gibbons, G. 1984. The Season of Arnold’s Apple Tree. Voyager Books.
Gibbons, G. 2002. Tell Me Tree: All About Trees for Kids. Little, Brown Young Readers.
Green, J. 1999. A Dead Log. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Guiberson, B. 1993. Cactus Hotel. Holt.
Hiscock, B. 1991. The Big Tree. Atheneum Books-MacMillan.
Iverson, D. 1999. My Favorite Tree: Terrific Trees of North America. Dawn Publications.
Kalman, B., K. Smithyman, and B. Bedell. 2002. The Life Cycle of a Tree. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Locker, T. 1995. Sky Tree. Harper Collins Publishers.
Lyon, G. 1996. ABCedar: an Alphabet of Trees. Scholastic Inc..
Lyons, D. 2002. The Tree. Illumination Arts Publishing.
Miller, D. 2003. Are Trees Alive? Walker Books for Young Readers.
Morrison, G. 2005. Oak Tree. Houghton Mifflin Co.
Oppenheim, J. 1967. Have You Seen Trees. Addison Wesley Longman Publishing Company.
Pascoe, E. and D. Kuhn. 2003. Ecosystem of a Fallen Tree. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
Simon. S. 1973. A Tree on Your Street. Holiday House Inc.
Staub, F.J. 1998. America's Forests. Lerner Publishing Group.
Tresselt, A. 1992. The Gift of a Tree. Lothrop, Lee & Shephard Books.
Vieira, L. 1994. The Ever-Living Tree: The Life and Times of a Coast Redwood. Walker Publishing Company.
Wong, H & Vessel, M. 1969. Our Tree. Addison-Wesley.

Grades 6-8
Arnosky, J. 1992. Crinkleroot’s Guide to Knowing the Trees. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.
Cherry, L. 2000. The Great Kapok Tree. Sagebrush Education Resources.
Garelick, M. & Brenner, B. 1979. The Tremendous Tree Book. Four Winds Press.
Marvis, B. and M. Ferron. 1995. Plants of the Forest. Facts on File, Inc
Simon. S. 1973. A Tree on Your Street. Holiday House Inc.
Vieira, L. 1994. The Ever-Living Tree: The Life and Times of a Coast Redwood. Walker Publishing Company.

Grades 9-12
Deakin, R. 2009. Wildwood: A Journey Through Trees. Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group.
Gibson, C.C., et al. 2000. People and Forests: Communities, Institutions, and Governance. MIT Press.
Heinrich, B. 1998. The Trees in My Forest. HarperCollins Publishers.
Kershner, B., et al. 2008. National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America. Sterling Publishing.
Petrides, G. A., et al. 1996. Trees. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.