Though being struck by lightning is usually bad, the tropical tree Dipteryx oleifera benefits. A strike kills other nearby trees and parasitic vines.

In the mid-18th century, Benjamin Franklin helped elucidate the nature of lightning and endorsed the protective value of ...

D. oleifera’s wide crown and tall height, which enhance its chance of being hit, make it a living lightning rod. And it might resist damage by being more electrically conductive than other tree ...

The trees may have even evolved to act as lightning rods. The research was led by Evan Gora, a forest ecologist at Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Gora studies how lightning impacts ...

The trees may have even evolved to act as lightning rods. Getting zapped with millions of volts of electricity may not sound like a healthy activity, but for some trees, it is. A new study ...