Trees Are Literally Turning Themselves Into Stone While Still Alive

In **Kenya's Samburu County**, scientists stumbled upon something that shouldn't exist: **living fig trees that literally transform parts of themselves into stone**. These remarkable trees continue growing, flowering, and producing fruit while **calcium carbonate deposits** (the same mineral as limestone) form throughout their wood structures. When researchers first discovered this phenomenon, they thought their equipment was malfunctioning because **living organisms aren't supposed to fossilize themselves and survive**. Similar to how scientists initially dismissed [NASA's impossible Mars biosignature discovery](/space/nasa-mars-emergency-discovery-biosignature), this finding challenges fundamental assumptions about what's possible in nature. --- The process defies basic biological principles through what scientists call the **"oxalate-carbonate pathway."** Fig trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into **calcium oxalate crystals** within their tissues. Here's where it gets mind-bending: specialized **bacteria and fungi** then decompose these crystals, transforming them into **solid calcium carbonate deposits** both on the tree's surface and deep within the wood. > "The calcium carbonate is formed both on the surface of the tree and within the wood structures, likely as microorganisms decompose crystals on the surface and also penetrate deeper into the tree." > > — **Dr. Mike Rowley**, University of Zurich --- Think about this: these trees are essentially becoming **living fossils** while continuing their normal biological functions. The stone deposits don't kill the tree. They coexist with living tissue in a way that science previously thought impossible. The scale shows promising potential. **Ficus wakefieldii**, the most effective species studied, demonstrates significant **calcium carbonate formation** throughout its trunk and surrounding soil. While specific quantities are still being researched, related studies on other trees using this pathway have shown sequestration of up to **one ton of calcium carbonate per lifetime**. This biological carbon capture rivals technological approaches, much like how [quantum computing breakthroughs](/technology/quantum-computing-2025-commercial-breakthrough) achieve previously impossible processing speeds through novel scientific principles. Unlike organic carbon that eventually returns to the air when plants decompose, these **mineral formations** can persist in soil for **millennia**. --- **Three species of Kenyan fig trees** demonstrate this ability, with researchers measuring substantial **calcium carbonate deposits** throughout their trunks. The research, presented at the **2025 Goldschmidt Conference in Prague**, shows these trees literally grow rocks inside themselves while maintaining all normal tree functions: photosynthesis, reproduction, and seasonal cycles. This biological impossibility joins other recent scientific breakthroughs that initially seemed impossible, including [the TOI-2431 b planet that defies physics](/space/toi-2431-b-impossible-planet-defies-physics-nasa-discovery) with its **5.4-hour year**. This discovery opens **revolutionary possibilities for carbon sequestration**. We could strategically plant these **"stone-making" trees** to combat climate change while producing food. The trees offer a dual benefit: fruit harvests and **permanent CO2 removal** through biological mineralization. --- Nature just revealed a superpower we never knew existed: **living organisms that turn themselves into stone and thrive**. Just as [revolutionary digital universe evidence](/science/scientists-found-evidence-digital-universe) suggests reality operates through compression algorithms, these trees demonstrate that nature constantly operates beyond our current understanding of biological limitations. --- **Sources:** - [How fig trees turn parts of themselves to stone](https://www.earth.com/news/how-fig-trees-turn-parts-of-themselves-to-stone/) - _Earth.com_, 2025 - [Fig trees convert atmospheric CO₂ to stone, research reveals](https://phys.org/news/2025-07-fig-trees-atmospheric-stone-reveals.html) - _Phys.org_, 2025 - [From air to stone: The fig trees fighting climate change](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250706225819.htm) - _ScienceDaily_, 2025 - [These fig trees absorb CO2 from the air and convert it into stone](https://www.zmescience.com/ecology/climate/these-fig-trees-absorb-co2-from-the-air-and-convert-it-into-stone/) - _ZME Science_, 2025