We don’t often think about the roots of trees until there is a problem. A forester friend of mine called it a “fencepost mentality.” Being underground, they are often out of sight out of mind.

The new map of the corn root revealed previously undescribed cellular specialization in the cortex of the root. The cortex is particularly important because it comprises the bulk of the early corn ...

The primary functions of roots are to anchor the tree to the ground, store carbohydrates, absorb water and nutrients, and conduct those nutrients to the vascular system of the tree.