Trees

Trees were found in forests and other areas of Arda not under the dominion of Melkor or Sauron. Among living things, J.R.R. Tolkien was especially a lover of trees.The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 165 (1955), quote: "I am (obviously) much in love with plants and above all trees, and always have been; and I find human maltreatment of them as hard to bear as some find ill-treatment of animals."
== Description and uses ==
Trees in Tolkien's Middle-earth greatly resembled trees that exist in the real world. There were many different varieties, such as oak, beech, and pine, and also fictional species, such as the Mallorn tree, found in abundance and used as great tree-houses in the forest of Lothlórien. Much earlier, the Two Trees of Valinor also were not of a preexisting species, and were uniquely created by some of the Valar to bring light upon Earth.
Certain trees in Middle-earth were mistaken for sentient beings called Ents, who greatly resembled trees, but had hands, feet, and facial features. They could speak intelligibly, and were shepherds of certain forests throughout the ages. The Huorns too would often be confused with trees - they could move, and communicated with trees and Ents, though their behavior was rather less intelligent, and they remained 'treeish'. The Ents were their moderators, in some instances, and protectors. Some Huorns in the Old Forest were dangerous and could "talk" to other trees, or drop their branches on unsuspecting people walking past them. Some gradually twisted the direction of forest paths, leading travelers unawares to Old Man Willow, a minor villain in a chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring.
Trees were sacred to the Elves, and Ents had first been created to protect the forests of Middle-earth from those who would cut them down, namely Dwarves and (chiefly) Orcs. Many Elf kindreds dwelt in most of the largest forests of Arda: Doriath (in Beleriand), Mirkwood, and Lothlórien. The trees of Mirkwood and Doriath were labyrinthine for any foreigner passing through, serving as protection to the Elves' dominions.
The White Tree was the symbol of Gondor, the greatest kingdom of Men within Middle-earth, as well as a real tree. It had grown from the fruit of a prior tree, Nimloth of Númenor.
== Forests of Middle-earth ==
Forests of Middle-earth featuring significantly in Tolkien's writings include:
* Fangorn
* Old Forest
*Mirkwood - Mirkwood was the largest forest after the First Age, and the most dangerous woodland because of Sauron's long presence in Dol Guldur.
*Lothlórien
*Drúadan Forest
*Doriath (including Neldoreth and Region)
*Forest of Brethil
*Ithilien
*Dimholt
Minor woods and forests include:
* Eryn Vorn
* Taur-im-Duinath
* Taur-en-Faroth
* Grey Wood
* Nan Elmoth
== Involvement in stories ==
As told in The Hobbit, Thorin and Company stayed on top of trees in an effort to protect themselves from the Wargs. Goblins burned these trees down once the Company was rescued by Eagles.
== References ==