This month, I began an Introduction to Horticulture course at our local botanical gardens. It’s a quiet, green sanctuary — the kind of place where the world seems to slow down just enough for you to notice details you’d otherwise miss.
One crisp morning, I walked through the gardens with my son. We paused at the base of a towering eucalyptus and then wandered over to a row of young maples. I found myself pointing out the twists, leans, and bends in their trunks. Some trees leaned hard toward the sun, others stood arrow-straight, while some sprawled low and wide. Their roots gripped rock or curled around obstacles.
They were all living in the same garden, breathing the same air, soaking up the same rainfall — yet they had each taken a different shape.
And that got me thinking: trees grow like people.
Same Ground, Different Growth
If you plant two identical saplings side-by-side, you might expect them to grow identically. But they won’t.
One might reach straight for the sky, another might develop a curve, another might branch low and wide. Why? Because even in the same environment, subtle differences shape their growth:
- One might get a fraction more sunlight.
- Another might feel the constant push of wind from one direction.
- One might face competition for nutrients from a nearby shrub.
- The soil could be slightly more compact on one side of the root zone.
These small differences compound over the years, changing the plant’s form entirely.
Humans are no different. You can grow up in the same household as your sibling, go to the same school, and share the same community, but still develop a completely different personality, path, or worldview. The “soil” may be shared, but each of us experiences unique microclimates in our lives.
The Environmental Factors That Shape a Tree
As I learn more in my horticulture course, I’m beginning to understand just how many environmental forces shape a tree. Some are gentle nudges; others are life-defining challenges. Here are a few:
- Light – Trees orient themselves toward the sun, bending and stretching to maximise photosynthesis. Without enough light, they grow taller and thinner, reaching desperately. With ample light, they may grow stockier and broader.
- Wind – Constant wind shapes trees physically and structurally. Wind-pruned branches grow shorter on the exposed side. In coastal areas, trees lean inland, as though bracing against invisible hands.
- Soil Quality – Rich, loose soil allows roots to spread freely, anchoring a strong trunk. Compact or rocky soil forces roots to twist and adapt, sometimes stunting growth — but often making the tree more resilient.
- Water Availability – Consistent water encourages steady growth; inconsistent water may cause stress, smaller leaves, or deeper root systems searching for moisture.
- Space & Competition – When surrounded by other plants, a tree may grow taller and narrower to compete for light. In open space, it may spread wide, unhurried.
- Disturbances – Storm damage, pruning, disease, or animal browsing can alter a tree’s structure dramatically.
Every one of these factors has a human parallel.
The Human Parallels
Let’s translate those tree-shaping forces into our human world:
- Light → Opportunities & Encouragement
Just as trees need light to thrive, humans need encouragement, inspiration, and opportunity. Some people grow up surrounded by positive influences that help them flourish. Others may live in “shadier” conditions — environments where opportunities are scarce — and must stretch themselves to find the light. - Wind → Adversity & Resistance
Life’s challenges — whether it’s loss, prejudice, or rejection — are like the winds that bend trees. While too much wind can break us, a steady breeze can build strength and resilience. People who’ve faced adversity often develop unique strengths and perspectives, even if they bear the marks of those trials. - Soil → Foundational Support
The “soil” of our lives is our foundation — our family, community, and early resources. Some of us start in rich soil, with abundant support and stability. Others begin in rocky ground, needing to find creative ways to root themselves. - Water → Emotional & Practical Nourishment
We need more than food and shelter; we need love, validation, and emotional safety. Just like water, these emotional nutrients need to be replenished regularly. Too little can cause our emotional “leaves” to wither. - Space & Competition → Social Context
In some environments, people must constantly compete for limited resources — jobs, attention, recognition. In others, there’s room to grow freely, allowing more experimentation and creative expression. - Disturbances → Life’s Disruptions
Accidents, illness, sudden changes, betrayals — these moments can prune us back, force us to change direction, or even inspire unexpected new growth.
The Mystery of Individual Direction
But even when environmental factors are similar, we still see variation.
Why does one tree grow tall and straight while its neighbour twists and leans? Why does one sibling become a social butterfly while the other turns inward?
Part of it lies in inherent tendencies. Every tree has its own genetic blueprint — some species naturally branch wide, some naturally shoot straight up, and others grow crooked no matter what you do. Similarly, humans carry traits and tendencies shaped by temperament, personality, and innate talents.
There’s also the element of choice and response. While trees don’t consciously choose, humans do. Two people can experience the same hardship and respond in opposite ways — one retreating, the other becoming more determined.
Resilience: The Wind-Shaped Tree
One of my favourite sights in nature is a wind-sculpted tree on a cliff or coast, branches swept in one direction as though frozen mid-dance. These trees are often stronger than their sheltered counterparts because they’ve grown dense, flexible wood to withstand the forces around them.
Likewise, many of the strongest, most compassionate people I’ve met have been “wind-shaped.” They carry the marks of their challenges, but those marks tell a story of adaptation, endurance, and creativity.
When the Environment Changes
Here’s another fascinating thing: if you move a tree to a new environment, it starts adapting again. A sapling grown in a windy field will grow differently once it’s sheltered in a garden. Humans, too, can shift our growth patterns when our surroundings change.
This is why it’s never too late to alter your trajectory. Change your environment — your social circles, your routines, your daily input — and you change the conditions for growth.
Lessons from the Garden
Walking with my son through the gardens that day, I realised that both trees and humans share a universal truth: we are shaped, but we are not fixed.
Roots can find new paths around stone. Branches can adjust toward a fresh source of light. A damaged trunk can still flower in spring.
For us, this means:
- We can seek out the light of inspiration and learning.
- We can strengthen ourselves against the winds of adversity.
- We can nurture our “soil” through supportive relationships and self-care.
- We can prune back what no longer serves us.
The beauty of being human is that we have more choices than a tree. We can deliberately change the direction we’re growing.
Closing Thoughts
Trees are living archives of their environments. Every bend, scar, and knot tells a story of wind, light, water, and soil. Humans, too, carry the marks of our environments — not just in our bodies, but in our beliefs, habits, and ways of being.
The next time you walk among trees, look closely. Notice the roots curling around rocks, the branches leaning toward the sun, the scars from old storms. Then think about your own growth.
You might find that, like the trees, you’ve been quietly shaping yourself all along — not just in response to your surroundings, but in harmony with them. And, just like the trees, you can keep growing in beautiful, unexpected directions.
Ready to Grow with Guidance from Nature?
If this reflection on growth and environment resonated with you, you’ll love the Introduction to Nature Based Therapy workshop — an immersive 4-hour online experience where you’ll explore how to bring nature’s wisdom into your personal and professional practice.
Learn more and book your spot HERE.
