When Did Trees Evolve?

The very first plants on land were tiny. This was a very long time ago, about 470 million years ago. Then around 350 million years ago, many different kinds of small plants started evolving into trees. These made the first great forests of the world.

When did the first trees appear on Earth?

Remarkably well-preserved ancient trees show cellular anatomy from millions of years ago. Cladoxylopsida were the first large trees to appear on Earth, arising almost 400 million years ago in the Devonian period.

When did Woody trees evolve?

"The previous earliest woody plants are of Middle Devonian age (roughly 390 million years old). Our plants are of Early Devonian age, [so about] 400 million years old," explained co-author Phillipe Gerrienne, a geologist from the University of Liege, Belgium.