By Rebecca Dzombak When lightning strikes a tree in the tropics, the whole forest explodes. “At their most extreme, it kind of looks like a bomb went off,” said Evan Gora, a forest ecologist ...

Apr 08, 2025 12:30:00 Tree discovered with ability to kill surrounding plants with lightning, first tree found to benefit from being struck by lightning Lightning is a rare but unavoidable threat ...

Evan Gora / Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Getting struck by lightning might not sound like a very wise idea to us, but for one tropical tree species, an occasional zap is a good thing.

Gora believes the tree's physical characteristics, including its high internal conductivity, allow lightning to pass through without causing internal heat damage—similar to a well-insulated wire.