Tree of wisdom The trees of wisdom , or Selab trees , were small trees native to Selab , a planet in the isolated Hapes Cluster . Eating the fruit of wisdom trees bestowed increased intelligence on elderly beings ; however , some individuals believed the trees to be only a myth . In 8 ABY , Leia Organa was presented with a tree of wisdom as a gift from the Hapes Consortium , part of an attempt to entice her to marry Prince Isolder and become the next Queen Mother of the Cluster . She demurred , although the contact led to the opening of the Hapan borders . The Consortium later gifted a tree of wisdom to the Pesktda Xenobotanical Garden on Garqi , but it was burnt down during the Yuuzhan Vong War . Biology and appearance . The trees of wisdom , or Selab trees , were a species of small , gnarled tree native to Selab . They gave off a nutty scent , and produced fruit with a brown , ruddy peel . Eating the fruit could greatly increase the intelligence of elderly people . History . The trees of wisdom grew on Selab , a planet in the Interior Region of the Hapes Cluster . However , with the isolationist Hapes Cluster closing its borders to the galaxy in 3100 BBY , many individuals came to regard the trees of wisdom as only a legend . This was disproved in 8 ABY when a tree of wisdom was included in the gifts presented to Chief of State Leia Organa as an incentive for her to marry Isolder , the son of the Hapan Queen Mother Ta ' a Chume . The tree was accompanied by twin , floating lights , which regulated its day / night cycle . Organa stored the tree , along with the other Hapan gifts , in her room , but ultimately chose to marry former smuggler Han Solo instead of Isolder . Following that incident , the Hapan Cluster slowly reopened its borders . They eventually gifted a stunted tree of wisdom to the Pesktda Xenobotanical Garden on the planet Garqi . The garden included several other exotic botanical specimens , including a grove of bafforr tree s from Ithor . In 25 ABY , during the Yuuzhan Vong War , it was discovered that the Vonduun crab armor worn by the extra - galactic invaders , the Yuuzhan Vong , was allergic to bafforr pollen . In order to hide such a militarily significant discovery from the Yuuzhan Vong , the Garqi Resistance burned the entire Xenobotanical Garden , including the tree of wisdom . Later that same year , Organa visited the Hapes Cluster hoping to enlist the Hapans ' aid in the war against the Yuuzhan Vong . While addressing an assembly of Hapan representatives , she recalled their earlier gifts , specifically referring to her tree of wisdom . Behind the scenes . Dave Wolverton created the trees of wisdom for his novel " The Courtship of Princess Leia " , published by Bantam Spectra in 1994 . While it was unclear in the book whether the tree ' s fruit was able to boost intelligence , an entry in the " Star Wars Encyclopedia " in 1998 confirmed it . James Luceno referenced the tree in his novel " " , published by Del Rey in 2000 . The trees were again mentioned in " Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds " , published by Wizards of the Coast in 2004 . " The Courtship of Princess Leia " and " Agents of Chaos II : Jedi Eclipse " referred interchangeably to the tree as a " tree of wisdom " and a " wisdom tree , " while " Star Wars Encyclopedia " and " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " , published in 2008 , only used the former name . " Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds " referred to it as a " wisdom - tree . "