Mangrove forests are a group of trees and shrubs that grow along the world's subtropical and tropical coastlines. To thrive in the harsh coastal intertidal zone, these trees have developed some pretty incredible adaptations.

Their twisted roots and branches jut upward from the sand and water like long, slender stilts and help secure them against the battering of the sea and changing tide — and their thick, waxy leaves filter and excrete the salt from the water.

Aside from adapting to an environment that's considered unfit for trees of any kind, mangrove forests are critical for protecting coastlines, endangered and threatened species, people’s livelihoods, and even helping combat climate change.

Many mangrove forests around the world are worshipped as sacred groves. In some areas, gods and goddesses are worshipped as protectors of these unique ecosystems. In Benin, Zangbeto is said to guard the Togbin mangrove forest—and people know not to fish, hunt, harvest, or even enter the sacred forest.

Kapok (Ceiba pentandra), common throughout the tropics, are massive trees that dominate the canopy and emergent layer of tropical forests. In the right conditions, they can grow up to 13ft per year, maxing out at around 200ft tall.

Called the Silk Cotton Tree because they produce pods full of a light, fluffy fiber, Kapoks are native to the New World and Africa, but are cultivated in Asia. Their fiber has been used to fill lifejackets, sleeping bags, pillows, mattresses, and more. Other parts of the tree provide light, porous wood for woodworking, seed oil for soap making, and natural medicines.

Kapok are also known for their buttressed trunk, which meets an almost horizontal crown. Some varieties sport large thorns, providing additional protection from predators.

The ancient Mayans believed the kapok tree stood at the center of the earth. Today, it remains an important species and is the national tree of both Puerto Rico and Guatemala.

Sedona, Arizona attractions millions of visitors every year who hope to benefit from "energy vortexes." Many say they leave feeling recharged and inspired.

To believers, a physical sign that you are near a vortex is the twisting of a Juniper tree. Why do they twist like that? Scientists say it's due to the natural features of the environment, which accentuates wind currents—but many locals and tourists believe it is due to swirling mystical energy.

Regardless of what you believe, most can agree that the landscape of Sedona naturally encourages relaxation and contemplation—and its twisted juniper trees are a highlight for many a visitor.

The Yavapai-Apache Nation call the area home and hold a spring ceremony every year in Boynton Canyon. The canyon holds great spiritual significance, and is believed to be where the Great Spirit Mother gave birth to the human race.

Whoa, now that's an incredible tree! The Angel Oak Tree is located on St. John’s Island, South Carolina, and is one of the state’s most visited landmarks. It's said that at over 500 years old, the Southern Live Oak could be one of the oldest living things east of the Mississippi.

Because of its age, the tree is above average in height, reaching over 65 feet high. Its longest branch extends 187 feet, and some branches even drill back into the ground and begin to grow back upward.

Known by many locals as “The Tree”, members of the community and visitors hold a deep respect for the oak. So much so that in 1991 there was significant public support for the City of Charleston to purchase land surrounding the tree to ensure that no future developments would jeopardize the tree.

Whether it is its massive size or the folklore surrounding it, many visitors are said to have profound feelings when they approach this tree. Wouldn't you?

The Socotra Dragon Tree, also known as the Dragon Blood Tree, can only be found on the island of Socotra, Yemen. With a unique, umbrella shape and exposed branches that reach for the sky, the tree is able to collect and absorb mist that passes over the island. In a process called horizontal precipitation capture, the tree passes the moisture it collects from the air, into the soil.

In addition to playing a unique and critical hydrological role on an island that's part of the “Galápagos of the Indian Ocean,” the tree "bleeds" a deep crimson resin when cut. Arabic folklore says the first dragons blood tree grow in a spot where two brothers, Darsa and Samha, fought to the death. Another legend says it was created from the blood of an injured dragon that had been fighting with an elephant.

The resin has been harvested for hundreds of years, and is ground into a fine powder for paint, pottery glaze, makeup and nail polish, and as a medicinal ointment and elixir ingredient. Only experienced harvesters are allowed to extract the resin from the tree, as it puts the tree at jeopardy if done incorrectly.

WOW, just look at those colors! The Rainbow Eucalyptus tree is often referred to as a “living work of art” because of the range of colors it can display. During the summer, the tree's orange-tinted trunk peels to reveal a unique, multi-colored bark underneath — which can include streaks of pale green, red, orange, gray and purple-brown.

Preferring moist humid tropical forests that have high rainfall, the tree is native to New Guinea, Indonesia and the Philippine Islands. It is also planted in Hawaii and other parts of the U.S. as a street and shade tree. The only eucalyptus tree indigenous to the northern hemisphere, it can grow up to 250ft tall in its native habitat.

Scientifically, very little research has been done to explain WHY the tree changes colors. One scientist hypothesizes that it's due to the presence of various types of tannins, combined with a decrease in underlying chlorophyll as the tree sheds bark in strips. Depending on the types of tannins that are present, sections of bark take on specific hues, earning the tree its name.

The most widespread and prolific tree in North America, Quaking aspen gets its name from its leaves, which tremble with the slightest breeze.

These trees are unlike any other—every tree in an aspen stand is usually connected to a single root system. The roots of these trees spread far and wide, and new tree trunks grow right up from them. Every tree growing from the same root system in an aspen stand is genetically the same, which is why stands are often referred to as clones or clonal colonies. 

Aspen trunks may live for a hundred years, but the root systems can live underground for hundreds or thousands of years. The US Forest Service found one clone in Utah that they believed to be 80,000 years old. 

Because of how they grow, aspen trees are very resilient and can withstand many disturbances that might wipe out other tree species. When an individual trunk falls to disease, insect infestation, or a forest fire, it will grow back quickly. Because all of the trunks are connected, the stress hormones they send out during disturbances can quickly trigger growth in the rest of the colony. This means aspens can often recover comparatively quickly after wildfires. 

The Sagano Bamboo Forest is located on the outskirts of Kyoto, Japan, near the Tenryū-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Kyoto's five major temples.

In Japan, Buddhist temples and shrines can often be found near bamboo groves, because bamboo is thought to symbolize strength and ward off evil.

One of the biggest draws of this bamboo forest is its natural soundscape. When the wind passes through the tall slender trunks, it creates tranquil noises of leaves rustling and trunks knocking together.

The sound is so distinct that Japans Ministry of Environment included the Sagano Bamboo Forest on its list of “100 Soundscapes of Japan.”

In the western slopes of California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range, at elevations between 3,000-8,500ft, you'll find some of the planet’s largest trees: Sequoiadendron giganteum — or, the giant sequoias. 

These majestic giants represent the world’s largest non-clonal organisms by volume and can live for up to 3,400 years. Their age and unique abilities to withstand fire help scientists understand fire history: fire scars on sequoia tree rings dating back 2,000 years show that widespread fires occured naturally every 6-35 years. 

The tree’s extremely fibrous bark, which can be up to 18 inches thick, insulates the trees against the heat of fires — and resists burning. This protects the trees from sustaining significant damage during typical fire events. In other words? This tree species is adapted to periodic fire — and in fact relies on it for seed germination. 

Decades of fire suppression, coupled with drought, have created heavy fuel loads that increase the likelihood of stand destroying high severity fires, threatening the survival of this species. Other endangered species, like the California Condor, which makes nests in cavities of giant sequoias, depend on its survival. 

This photo really makes you realize the strength of a tree! This is Ta Prohm, a Buddhist monastery and center of learning that was built in 1186.

Over a 500 year period of abandonment by humans, strangler figs and silk cotton trees grew into the temple’s structures, making it a starkly beautiful but truly eerie place. 

The original name of the monastery was Rajavihara (the royal monastery), and it was dedicated to the Buddhist personification of wisdom. One of the Crown Jewels of Angkor, the capital of the Khmer Empire, historic records show that almost 80,000 people were required to maintain or attend at the temple. 

While many factors contributed to its demise, interestingly, a team lead by ecologist Mary Beth Day, found evidence pointing to an ancient drought, then flooding, that may have lead to the demise of the city and temple. In other words: changing climate conditions contributed to the abandonment of the structure, and nature wasted no time in taking over. 

In the early 20th century, french archeologists rediscovered the buildings. While it may look like an untouched gem in the forest, it is actually maintained to ensure that visitors can safely witness its beauty.