Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. This rainforest tree solved one of evolution’s hardest ...

The sandbox tree, often called the “dynamite tree,” uses extreme internal pressure to violently eject its seeds at high speeds. These explosive bursts can send hardened seed pods flying fast enough to ...

In tropical forests across Central and South America, a quiet tree hides one of the most violent forms of seed dispersal found in nature. Known to scientists as Hura crepitans and to locals as the ...