Three really awesome tree characters from the movies

Trees make awesome fictional characters.

They are steadfast, rigid, ancient and wise.

In commemoration of Arbor Week (1 – 7 September), we’ve picked our favourite fictional tree characters:

1. Groot (from the movie Guardians of the Galaxy)

Groot is by far the coolest of all the Guardians. Despite of his hard, wooden exterior, this humanoid tree has the gentlest of hearts. He doesn’t talk too much – his vocabulary is limited to the tree words ‘I am Groot’, but he is super strong and very intelligent. He has the ability to heal himself, grow very fast, stretch his limbs and reshape them for a variety of tasks.

Groot’s best movie moment

In Guardians of the Galaxy 1, Groot grows a thick web of vines around him and his friends to shield them from harm, and in the process, tragically, kills
himself.

WATCH:

2. Treebeard (from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)

If trees were ‘alive’ – as in, able to speak, listen and even move, then we would like to believe that they are like the Ents of Lord of the Rings. Treebeard, the eldest of the Ents, is not hasty. He speaks very slowly, careful not to rush anything, and moves even slower. But when he and his fellow Ents have to help fight the evil Saruman, they totally kick butt.

Treebeard’s best moment

Treebeard is such a wonderful character, our favourite ‘moment’ is when he first makes his appearance in Lord of the Rings.

‘I am not going to tell you my name, not yet at any rate.’

A queer half-knowing, half-humorous look came with a green flicker into his eyes.

‘For one thing it would take a long while: my name is growing all the time, and I’ve lived a very long, long time; so my name is like a story.

‘Real names tell you the story of things they belong to in my language, in the Old Entish as you might say. It is a lovely language, but it takes a very long time saying anything in it, because we do not say anything in it, unless it is worth taking a long time to say, and to listen to.’

J R R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

WATCH:

3. Harry Potter’s Whomping Willow

They get manhandled, chopped, kicked, pulled, punched, clambered and scribbled on – surely we can’t blame trees for feeling grumpy.

The Whomping Willow of Hogwarts is one tree that’s had enough of human abuse.

Planted in 1971, it hides a secret passage between the school grounds and the Shrieking Shack.

Those who dare to pass, or merely touch its trunk, get branch-whipped in the face.

Whomping Willow’s best movie moment

When Hermione and Harry are swung around by the Whomping Willow

WATCH:

For the love of trees, also check out these movies:

• Avatar (featuring the mystical Tree of Souls)
• Dr Seus’ The Lorax
• Once Upon a Forest
• FernGully.

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