Lightning is often seen as a killer, leaving behind destruction and death of trees — but one tropical species has evolved to use the force of nature to its benefit. The tonka bean tree, scientifically ...

The tonka bean tree can survive a lightning strike, and thrive. Lightning strikes may kill untold numbers of trees every year, but one tropical species has evolved to benefit from the sudden jolts of ...

While lightning is a fascinating phenomenon, it's also infamous in its capacity for destruction and the danger it poses to life. Each year, lightning claims hundreds of millions of trees worldwide, ...

Before a discovery in a Panamanian rainforest, “it seemed impossible that lightning could be a good thing for the trees,” a scientist said. By Rebecca Dzombak When lightning strikes a tree in the ...

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Scientists discover trees in the lowland rainforests of Panama that use lightning strikes to ...

Lightning strikes kill millions of trees each year — but it turns out that some large tropical trees can not only survive a strike, but also benefit from its effects, according to a recent study. The ...

For trees, lightning strikes are the great leveller. Stick your neck out by growing taller than the rest, and you risk getting zapped into oblivion. Hundreds of millions of trees suffer this fate ...

In the rainforests of Panama, one tropical tree has evolved an incredible defence strategy. It can withstand lightning strikes and use them to fight off its competition. Infographic showing the impact ...

A technician climbs a tower to locate lightning strikes in the study area on Panama's Barro Colorado Island. Evan Gora / Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Getting struck by lightning might not sound ...

A first-of-its-kind study estimates that lightning strikes kill 320 million trees every year. For perspective, these dead trees account for up to 2.9 percent of annual loss in plant biomass and emit ...

John Dunn covers more on lightning by encouraging readers to exercise caution during thunderstorms by staying away from trees ...