Lovelier than a Poem Trivia Quiz

Answer: Oases, triumphal entry

Palm trees have been used by humans from the early days of history. Species of palm provide food (dates and heart of palm), palm oil, rattan, wines, and even carnauba wax. Palm leaves were used as symbols of victory and triumph in pre-Christian days. They are found mostly in tropical or subtropical regions and not just desert regions.

Answer: Almost destroyed by disease

The elm tree was widely used as ornamental decoration for streets, gardens, and parks due to its striking looks and resistance to air pollution and heavy winds. European and North American elms have been devastated by Dutch Elm disease, caused by a microfungus dispersed by the elm bark beetle.

The elm's interlocking grain was resistant to splitting, leading to its use in wagon wheels, chairs, caskets, and caskets. The elm is also very pliant, making it useful for the keels of ships and archer's bows (although yew is preferred).

Answer: long-life, height

Redwoods are some of the oldest and tallest trees in existence, living 1200 - 1600 years and reaching 115 meters (379 feet) in height. Redwood are native to the coastal forest region of northern California, although recent efforts have led to its cultivation in other parts of the US and New Zealand.

The redwood trees (especially the top) rely on coastal fog for some of their water needs, absorbing the moisture through leaves and bark. The redwood is resistant to insects, fungus, rot, and fire damage. It was used extensively for railroad ties, and now is very popular for outdoor furniture, fencing and garden bark.

Answer: Aspirin, cricket bats

The bark of many trees have produced useful medicine or are used for tanning. The willow is one of those, with its bark containing salicylic acid. This has been used for healing from as far back as Assyrian times and was documented by Hippocrates. In 1897 Felix Hoffman was able to synthesize salicin and the drug Aspirin was created. The wood of the willow has traditionally been used for the blade or striking surface of cricket bats.

Willows have large root system and aggressively seek moisture, tending to clog drains and sewers. Introduced into Australia for erosion control, they are now regarded as invasive trees requiring efforts to be controlled.

Answer: moth resistant chests

The cedar is a fragrant tree grown in temperate climates, such as the Mediterranean (Cedars of Lebanon). Cedar wood and cedar oil are natural repellents to moths and are used in cedar chests or in lining of closets used to store woolen articles of clothing. Cedars are also used for shake roofs, fencing, and house siding.

Answer: gum tree

There are over 700 species of eucalyptus, most native to Australia. Many, but not all, eucalyptus tree species are called gum trees because their bark exudes resin. Many eucalyptus trees have been exported to other warm countries because they grow rapidly, provide windbreaks, and can drain the soil of swampy areas.

Eucalyptus oil is distilled from the leaves and can be used for cleaning or industrial solvents. It is also used as an antiseptic and as a flavoring for sweets, toothpaste, and cough drops. The oil itself is very strong and can be toxic in large doses, but animals like the koala have adapted to it.

Answer: airplane, pulp

Spruce is a coniferous evergreen that grows to heights of 60 meters or 200 feet tall. Although it can be used for lumber, it is not suitable for outdoor usage because it is not very resistant to insects and tends to rot.
One of its primary usages is for pulp, where its long fibers bind together to produce strong paper that is easily bleached. It is also used very often for tone boards of musical instruments, such as the guitar, mandolin, guitar, cello, and harp. In the past, its resin was used to produce pitch.

Ironically Howard Hughes' famous airplane the Hughes H-4 Hercules, derogatorily called the "Spruce Goose", was made mostly of birch. On the other hand the Wright Brothers' first airplane, the "Flyer", was made of spruce.

Answer: Quinine

The bark of trees has often had medicinal properties, and the chinchona tree was one of the most remarkable.

Although the chinchona tree is unknown to most Westerners, hopefully you remembered that quinine was extracted from a South American tree to combat malaria and high fevers. Quinine had been used by native cultures long before the arrival of Europeans to combat fevers and other illnesses. The Spanish settlers in the Andes region introduced it to Europe.

The demand for quinine caused Peru and neighboring countries to ban exportation of the plant or its seeds, but eventually the Dutch were able start cultivation in Java.

Answer: Aromatic, expensive

Sandalwood is a highly aromatic tree that can retain its fragrance for decades. The wood is one of the most expensive in the world since it is a slow-growing tree and the tree is harvested by total removal to make use of high level of oil in its stump and roots.

The tree is grown primarily in the regions around India, Indonesia, Western Australia, and Hawaii. The sandalwood oil is used in perfumes and cosmetics for its scent. Sandalwood paste and other products are used in rites of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism.

Answer: Pancake topping

Although the maple tree is synonymous with the production of syrup, this is localized to the sugar maple. The maple family consists of about 128 species, mainly in Asia. Many maples have their leaves turn into a red color during autumn.

Maple syrup is produced by tapping the sap of the sugar maple and boiling it. It takes about 40 liters of maple sap to produce one liter of syrup. The state of Vermont and province of Quebec are notable producers.

Maple wood has been used for bowling pins, pool cues, and recently baseball bats. it is also used as a tone wood for the backs, sides, and necks of violins, violas cellos, and bassoons.

Answer: Piano keys, Stevie Wonder

Ebony is a dark, dense wood found mainly in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and parts of Africa. It is dense enough to sink in water. When introduced into Europe, it was used for cabinets. Modern usage is for smaller carvings and musical instruments (black piano and harpsichord keys, instrument fingerboards, and chin rests). Traditionally black chess pieces were carved from ebony, while boxwood or ivory was used for the white pieces.

"Ebony and Ivory" was a top-selling song by Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney. Superficially the song is about the black and white keys of a piano, although it has an obvious symbolism of racial harmony.

Answer: Open fire, smithy

Many trees (chestnut, pistachio, almond, cashew, hazel nuts, pecans, macadamias, etc.) produce nuts that are eaten.

The chestnut was the dominant tree in the eastern United States, used for construction of many homes and barns, until chestnut blight destroyed between three and four billion chestnut trees in the early 20th century. Few large chestnuts still exist in the eastern US, although pockets of blight-resistant chestnuts are present in the west. Efforts are ongoing to breed more resistant trees.

Before the blight chestnuts were used extensively in building, since the wood is straight-grained and its tannin made it highly resistant to decay. Chestnuts are a popular source of nourishment, especially when roasted at Christmastime ("Chestnuts roasting by the open fire")

"Under a spreading chestnut-tree;The village smithy stands;" are the first two lines of Longfellow's poem "The Village Blacksmith".

Answer: strength, whiskey barrels

The oak has traditionally been considered a symbol of strength and endurance. It was considered sacred to Zeus in Greek mythology and to Thor in Scandinavian mythology. The oak has great strength and hardness and is highly resistant to insect and fungal attacks.

Historically it has been used in construction of ships, furniture, timber-framed housing, and interior paneling of prestigious buildings. One modern application is its for barrels used in the creation of wine, sherry, and whiskey. Oak adds to the color, flavoring, and aroma of the spirit produced. On a related front the cork oak is used for wine stoppers.

Answer: Polynesia, pina colada

The coconut tree is actually a variety of the palm tree. Coconut trees thrive on sandy soil and are tolerant of salinity, but are intolerant of colder temperatures. Most of the production of coconuts occurs in tropical parts of Asia (mainly India, Indonesia, and the Philippines).

Coconut meat, water, and milk are widely used in the cuisine of many Asian and western countries. The husk of the coconut is used for ropes, mats, and brushes. The fronds are used for thatching and brooms. Coconut oil is present in soaps, cosmetics, and hair oil. The trunks of coconuts have been used for small bridges, huts, and even Hawaiian drums. John Kennedy sent a message carved into a coconut shell to get rescued after his boat sank.

Coconuts are also used in some drinks, such as the pina colada.

Answer: McIntosh, Granny Smith

Many trees are valuable for the fruit they produce. These include the apple, cherry, orange, lemon, lime, avocado, plum, peach and pear trees.

The apple is believed to have originated in Turkey and is one of the first trees cultivated by humans. They were introduced into South America by the Spanish in the 16th century and into North America by English colonists a century later. McIntosh, Granny Smith, and Red Delicious are three popular types of apples.