Lightning is one of nature’s most destructive forces, responsible for killing millions of trees every year. But in the rainforests of Panama, one species has flipped that danger into a powerful advantage.
The towering tonka bean tree (Dipteryx oleifera) doesn’t just survive lightning strikes, it actually seems to benefit from them. According to a recent study published in New Phytologist, this unique species has an uncanny ability to endure lightning while its nearby rivals and parasites are left scorched or dead.
Between 2014 and 2019, researchers tracked lightning strikes in Panama’s Barro Colorado Nature Monument. Using drones, antenna arrays, and decades of forest plot data, they documented nearly 100 strikes. More than half of the trees hit were killed. But all ten tonka bean trees that were struck emerged nearly unscathed.
The destruction wasn’t limited to competing trees. The findings show that roughly 78% of parasitic vines, known as lianas, clinging to the tonka trees were wiped out as well, thanks to the lightning. Each strike also eliminated more than two metric tons of neighboring plant biomass. In short, these lightning events cleared out the competition.
This surprising survival rate isn’t random. With a height about 30% taller than other rainforest trees and crowns 50% wider, Dipteryx oleifera stands out in the canopy… literally. These features make it significantly more likely to be struck, with a 68% higher probability compared to trees of similar trunk diameter.
However, rather than acting as a liability, this increased risk may actually be part of its long-term survival strategy. These trees can live for centuries, and researchers estimate that a single one may be hit by lightning at least five times during its life. That’s five natural resets of the space around them.
With fewer parasites and less surrounding competition, the tonka tree sees a remarkable 14-fold boost in reproductive success, actually reshaping its environment. The idea of a tree that thrives under lightning’s destructive force challenges how we think about forest dynamics. While most trees fall victim to these strikes, Dipteryx oleifera may be one of the rare species capable of turning that threat into a tool for dominance.
Now, if only it could use that power against climate change, too.
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