Have you ever wondered if trees could communicate what would they say? I know…it sounds a little unusual. But this week I decided to find out. I gave myself a challenge – I spent time with six different trees, asked each one if it was willing to communicate with me. Then, I listened. What happened next surprised even me. I’ve talked to plants, but never to trees. Whether you believe I was talking to trees, tapping into my intuition, or simply letting nature inspire me, I invite you to keep an open mind. Let’s see where this adventure takes us. What Started This Conversation Idea It all started when I went to the grocery store this week. I parked near the edge of the lot which has a nice evergreen border on the property line. AS I got out of the car, the trees caught my attention. Looking closely, I noticed a ton of little green balls at the end of the needle groups that make up the cypress leaves. Spiky, bright green, and maybe half an inch in diameter. What the heck? Were those going to be pinecones? I posted the picture on Substack and a friend looked it up. Yes! Those are tiny, immature pinecones of the cypress tree. That’s what caught my attention and and started me wondering if they had something to say. Yes, they did. Cypress: Beauty and Being Seen First, I heard these words: “Empress, royal, stately, graceful, beautiful.” Regal as they stand there, creating a tall emerald green border. “I am a mother tree, so I have loads of pinecones. These are like our flowers, to seed the earth and keep our kind going. My babies are full of seeds and offer nourishment to insects and small animals, as well as seeding the ground with new cypress trees. Don’t we make a beautiful border? Look at our auras and our energy fields. What do you see?” I was quite surprised to see little elemental helpers scurrying about between the trees. Gnome-like beings, hats and all, bringing energy and life force, and keeping the flow going. Then strangely, I also saw what seemed to be colorful, snake-like energies in pink and blue, swiftly wrapping around the trunks. Having never encountered anything like it, I did a little research. In Norse mythology, serpents are tied to the World Tree. In Greek mythology, a snake coils around the tree of the Hesperides to protect the golden apples. And in Buddhist tradition, the naga king Mucalinda shelters Buddha beneath the Bodhi Tree. Someone else had this image before me. That was really comforting. The cypress continued: “Trees have great wisdom because of our deep roots into Mother Earth. While our trunks are strong and stable, our branches blow in the breeze. We love this. To flow and move and twist and turn with the wind, dancing to our own lovely tune. We’re happy to mark the property line; it’s the perfect job for us. A strong masculine boundary with a fluid feminine grace. Notice us, be grateful to us, be kind to us. Say hello, acknowledge us. So few people even notice our beauty or the job we do. Thank you for spending time in our presence.” Ornamental Cherry: Abundance and Generosity Next, I approached the ornamental cherry tree. Here’s what I heard, “I am the picture of abundance, filled with tiny cherries. My pink blossoms turn into fruit in a matter of months. I love sitting here on your hill, rooted deeply into the earth, providing shade for the plants below me and a home to the insects and animals. Thank you for taking time with me today, for viewing me, appreciating me, and coming close enough to get to know me.” Russian Olive: Sharing and Spreading I said hello to the Russian olive tree and expressed that I love how it’s leaves go from green to silver in the breeze. They’ve populated so much of our land. I ask if this one would you tell me about itself. “Thank you for coming to talk to me. I have a certain grace, I know this is true. I am prolific and I spread everywhere. I’m not meant to grow big and old because my branches and wood are soft. But I do create shade and I do spread rapidly. I love sharing my presence on your land. I spread my branches wide as they curve down to make a wide top that brings shade to your yard.” Cedar: Resilience Two cedar pines stand as siblings. Planted years ago as one-foot bushes, they are now 12 to 15 feet tall despite the deer chewing at their base. I asked what they’d say about themselves as evergreens. “My leaves are spindly and small, but I am resilient. Regardless of the weather or the animals, I continue to grow. My branches come out from all around my trunk, inch after inch, filled with more branches. This is part of my beauty, strength, and resilience, and protects of my trunk as well. We appreciated being given the space to grow, and we’ve done so beautifully, don’t you think?” Oak: Standing in Your Power The oak was next. It’s such a stately tree. Regal, with a unique split trunk, like twins -two for one. It keeps its curled brown leaves through winter until spring brings new growth. “Thank you for noticing me, for your comments, and kindness. I know you worry that I shadow your garden, but it all works out. Here at the back of your property, I stand making a statement that this is where your property comes to an end. I am strong and I grow straight and tall. Oak is old wisdom, the wisdom of the druids. The small acorn grows the big, tall oak tree. We are mighty, we are wise.” I asked if it would share some oak wisdom. “Oak wisdom is about strength, about growing tall, standing still. It’s about staking a claim and standing in your power. When you stand tall in your power, you are like the oak. That makes us smile and we can see a smile on your face too.” Poplar: Flexibility Last was the poplar tree, tall, with siblings a hundred yards off. Their leaves twist and dance in the wind, the whole top of the tree sways like it’s moving to music. “Thank you for noticing my grace. I love that I sway in the breeze, that my leaves are dancing and twirling. I am flexible and fluid. Okay, the willow is more fluid, but don’t deny me my own grace. I love when a storm comes, so I can sway and dance, my branches reaching tall into the sky. I’m here to show that something tall and firmly rooted can still have delightful movement. You can be grounded and yet move and sway, dodge and hedge, persevere, and continue to grow and expand and experience life. My leaves are often the first to fall in a storm, and small branches snap off, but I heal rapidly. That’s part of my perseverance. Not like oak, standing there tall and firm and unyielding. That’s not me. I move and I have grace. My message to you is that you too can move and be flexible and change with the wind, and you’ll be rewarded for it. Sometimes you need to be firm. Sometimes you need to sway with the wind.” What Do Trees Talk About? As I listened to each tree, I noticed something surprising. None of them talked about themselves for very long. Each one reflected something back to me that we humans needed to hear. They spoke of qualities which humans need to live well. Cypress — Beauty and being seen Cherry — Abundance and generosity Russian Olive — Sharing and spreading Cedar — Resilience Oak — Standing in your power Poplar — Flexibility They seemed to be reminding me of qualities we already have but sometimes forget. Maybe that’s one of the gifts of spending time in nature. Whether you believe the trees were speaking to me, or that my intuition was translating their energy into words, it almost doesn’t matter. The wisdom was real. And every message left me feeling more connected to the living world around me. The next time you walk past a tree, consider being intentional. Stop for a minute. Really look at it. Notice its shape, its bark, its leaves. Say hello. Thank it for the shade it offers, the oxygen it creates, the beauty it brings to the world. Then, if it feels right, ask, “Is there anything you’d like me to know today?” Then simply listen. Maybe nothing happens. Or maybe you’ll be surprised. I started this little experiment wondering if trees had something to say. I ended it wondering something completely different. What if the trees have been speaking all along, and I simply never took the time to listen? FAQs About Trees Communicating Can trees actually communicate with humans? Trees exchange chemical and electrical signals with each other and their environment, which science confirms. Whether a tree can communicate a message to a specific person is a matter of belief and intuition rather than proven fact. Many people report receiving impressions, feelings, or words while sitting quietly with a tree. How do you communicate with a tree? Approach with an open mind, sit or stand near the tree, and quietly observe its shape, bark, and leaves. Say hello, ask a simple question such as “what would you like me to know today?” Then, listen for any words, feelings, or images that surface. Patience and stillness matter more than technique. What is intuitive communication with nature? Intuitive communication with nature is the practice of tuning into subtle impressions, feelings, or inner “words.” These might arise while spending focused, quiet attention with a plant, tree, or natural setting. It relies on inner sensing rather than verbal exchange, and results vary from person to person. Do different trees carry different meanings? Many spiritual traditions assign symbolic qualities to specific trees. Oak for strength and endurance, cedar for resilience, cypress for grace and boundaries. These associations come from folklore, mythology, and personal intuitive experience rather than scientific classification. What The Trees Taught Me Six trees, with six distinct qualities: beauty, abundance, sharing, resilience, personal power, and flexibility Each message pointed back to something we need to remember, not just a fact about the tree itsel
