It makes the cells that become new xylem, phloem, or cambium. At certain times of the year, the phloem may transport stored sugars as sap up from the roots up to the rest of the tree. Depending on the species and location of the tree, the bark may be thick, thin, hard, spongy, rough, smooth, spiny, and so on. Roots Trees are anchored to the ground by their roots. The roots also absorb water and nutrients from the soil.
Many trees have a taproot that grows straight into the ground.
There are also lateral roots that spread out from the tree and cover a large area. These roots branch into smaller rootlets that branch into even smaller root hairs.