Providing shelter, heat, and tools, trees have played a vital role in human life from the earliest times, but their role in symbolic expression has been largely overlooked. For example, trees are often used to express nationalistic feelings. Germans drew heavily on tree and forest imagery in nation-building, and the idea of "hearts of oak" has been central to concepts of English identity. Classic scenes of ghoulish trees coming to life and forests closing in on unsuspecting passersby commonly feature in the media. Different again, the palm tree typically symbolizes the tropical paradise.
This book looks at trees as agents that transform and create human relationships. What happens when trees connect with human labor, technology, retail and consumption systems? The authors discuss how trees can affect and even define notions of place, and the ways that particular places are recognized culturally.
