Scientists Discover that Trees Have a Heartbeat

Scientist previously had thought that water moved through trees by the process of osmosis, in a somewhat continuous manner. Recent research shows that the trunks and branches of trees are actually contracting and expanding to “pump” water up from the roots to the leaves, similar to the way our heart pumps blood through our bodies. The tree’s “pulse” is much slower than that of humans, “beating” once every two hours, and instead of regulating blood pressure, the heartbeat of a tree regulates water pressure.