Tree Dream Meaning and Symbolism

While some dream symbols can be mostly negative, such as a car accident, a demon, or a ghost, a tree is largely a positive sign. 

When they appear in dreams, trees symbolize our life goals, what we want life to look like, and a personal journey of discovery.

What does a Tree Mean as a Dream Symbol?

A tree in a dream is an important symbol, and it can often make the dream itself very memorable (see also How To Interpret A Dream Of Trees). Trees are not only essential for many ecosystems and for us to exist, but they also have a lot of spiritual significance attached to them, too. 

Family Ties

Probably the symbolism you’re most familiar with is ancestry, and family ties. 

Where you come from, how you were raised, and the ideals you were raised with all leave a big impression on you in later life, and they provide a foundation for the rest of it, just like the roots of a tree allow it to grow toward the light.

Not only does your upbringing and experiences shape who you are, but also those you have influence over, like your close friends, partner, and your children.

Wisdom and Resilience

Trees in dreams are also connected to the wisdom you gain as you move through life and learn from your mistakes, allowing you to be more knowledgeable, at the same time becoming stronger, and more resilient to life’s problems.

Spirituality

Trees in dreams are also attributed to your spirituality. The health of the tree can signal whether you feel fulfilled, content with where you are in life, how well you feel, or whether you have more work to do.

A tree in your dreams also relates to your personal journey through life, how your experiences are shaping you, what kind of person they’re molding you into, and how well you interact with others.

Trees in dreams also embody fresh opportunities, at the end of which you’ll grow significantly as a person.

What Anchors You

What keeps you grounded? The roots of a tree are symbolic of those things that make you feel connected to those around you, your emotions, and what’s going on around you.

A tree in your dream can be a sign that you need to practice being more grounded. Maybe a source of stress has you disconnected from those you love, or what is really important to you. 

It can also reflect how you feel firmly present in every moment of your life. Essentially, this tree in your dream represents how well-balanced everything is within your life. 

How to Figure Out what the Tree in Your Dream Means

There are many ways to realize exactly what the tree in your dream means to you specifically, as every dream is different. Let’s take a look.

How Do You Feel in the Dream?

One of the easiest ways to understand what your dream means is to recall how the dream makes you feel. 

Emotion plays a significant role in dreams, as you’ll often get the impressions of things happening within dreams, rather than actually seeing them happen. 

For example, dreams may feel very real, but they also include impossible or improbable things. This is the first step to understanding the symbolism in your dreams.

If you felt positive during your dream, the tree is a good omen, or a reflection of the great place you’re in right now. 

If you felt bad when you saw the tree, it likewise represents something negative, like a source of conflict or shame. 

Was the Tree Healthy?

A healthy tree within your dream is a good sign. It can reflect how you feel in waking life right now, where you feel you have a good handle on things, and everything is going well. 

If the tree in your dream looks diseased, if it looked like it was bleeding or leaking sap, your subconscious is drawing your focus to something in your life which needs your attention, and it needs it now. 

The season in your dream can also play a role. The height of a dazed, sun-drunk summer with luscious trees surrounding you and giving you some relief is a great dream.

You think things are going well, and your subconscious is giving you time to recharge for the positivity ahead of you.

If you dream of trees frozen in winter, this can suggest that it isn’t the right time to start a new long-term project, or that you need some time to regain your energy.

Consider the Age of the Tree

A dream which features a sapling, or a simple shoot has a wildly different meaning from a towering, wizened oak, for example.

The older and healthier the tree, the more positive the meaning. A young tree, such as a sapling, suggests that you have a long way to go before you will achieve what you want. 

A mature tree is symbolic of wisdom, longevity and resilience.

What Different Types of Trees Mean in a Dream

Well, we won’t exactly get through all of them in this particular article, but there are several types worth knowing the dream symbolism of, as each one has a different meaning. 

Tropical and Exotic Trees Appearing in a Dream

Tropical trees, such as huge palm trees which tower above you, are an interesting dream symbol. If you live somewhere colder in waking life, this dream represents a desire to escape to your version of a paradise, where your current problems wouldn’t matter.

If you live somewhere warm, tropical trees can simply be a reflection of your waking life, or they can suggest you don’t appreciate what you have for what it is.

Flowering/Fruit Trees Dream Symbolism

Flowering or fruiting trees in a dream is a very good sign. They both symbolize abundance and wealth. It’s likely that whatever you’re hoping for will come to pass through your hard work. 

If you’ve been working toward a promotion, pay rise, or establishing new connections in your professional life, seeing a fruiting or flowering tree points to new opportunities coming your way.

Fruiting trees means a period of satisfaction, fulfillment and enjoying the ‘fruits’ of your hard work, while flowering trees represent new beginnings or ideas, stages in life, and fleeting chances which you shouldn’t let pass you by.

Deciduous Trees & Hardwoods Dream Meaning

Deciduous trees, that is to say, those trees which turn spectacular colors during fall, and lose their leaves once the temperature drops, are a good sign. 

The meaning itself depends on the type of tree, if you can remember exactly what species the tree resembles (if it was a real type of tree), then this can also inform the meaning behind your dream.

An oak tree appearing within your dream symbolizes resilience, wisdom, and a long and happy life. 

Maple trees indicate that you need to cultivate more patience with yourself. Some things are worth the long wait.

An elm tree in your dream can be a mixed message, as it symbolizes both affection and pain.

You may feel as though a relationship only consists of those two qualities swinging on a pendulum, in which case you need to find a better sense of balance within your connection. 

What Do Evergreen Trees Mean?

Evergreen trees, like their names suggest, don’t lose their leaves once winter comes. Because of this trait, evergreen trees appearing in your dream, such as spruce, cedar, or pine, embody resilience, and the ability to endure difficult times. 

Dreaming of a forest of evergreen trees represents the huge potential and strength you hold within. It’s a reminder to go after what you want, as you can take the challenges ahead of you.

Common Tree Dreams and What They Mean

Walking Through a Forest

Dreaming of walking through a forest implies that you have a wealth of knowledge and experience which will help guide you through the next phase of your life. 

It also suggests an abundance of support, sense of security or fulfillment within your life. 

If the forest within your dream is calm, and you feel well-grounded, this either reflects how you feel about waking life, or this dream is your subconscious giving you some space to recharge.

A forest in your dream is also a reminder that no individual is an island. You are more influenced by your surroundings and the company that you keep than you think, and taking time for yourself, as well as others can be incredibly beneficial.

If you dream of a forest fire (see also Fire Dream Interpretation), this dream is drawing your attention to the need to act. There is something that needs your attention, and avoiding it will only make things a thousand times worse.

Sentient Trees

If you dream of being surrounded by sentient trees, or you have a conversation with a tree within your dream, then your subconscious is trying to make you aware of something very important.

It may be that your unconscious mind has realized something, or you’ve forgotten a powerful memory or detail which could serve you in waking life, where you find yourself in a similar situation.

If you talked to the trees, try to remember what the gist of the conversation was, as this will help you find the message in the dream. 

Within your dream, if you walked among sentient trees, but the forest was silent, this signifies that you feel you are missing out on something vital in life. 

This may be something you feel you lack, or it can be something you suspect other people know, but they are keeping secrets from you.

Climbing or Sitting in a Tree

Dreaming of climbing a tree indicates that you are making progress towards your goals. Consider the speed and how easy it was to climb the tree in your dream. 

A slow and steady climb reflects your considered progress in waking life, where you think about each step before you take a single one.

If the climb was difficult, but you managed to reach the top of the tree, this mirrors how you will face many obstacles, but you’ll still get to where you want to be.

If you dream of sitting in a tree, this is your subconscious telling you to look at what you have achieved. It may be time to gain some perspective.

Falling From a Tree

Dreaming of falling out of a tree signifies that you won’t succeed in the way that you hope. It will lead you to a different, unexpected path. 

It can also suggest that your life is out of balance in some way, whether that’s the delicate balance between putting time into your work life and family life, or something else entirely.

If you dream of a tree falling (see also Falling Tree Dream Meaning), this represents anxiety, which has the power to distract you from what’s actually going on, and it risks a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Tripping on Tree Roots

Dreaming of tripping on a tree root and falling suggests that you are feeling disconnected from your loved ones, or your life in general. 

Things feel only numb. It may be worth trying to notice details around you to help ground you once more. 

Many Tree Stumps

If you dream of seeing many tree stumps as a result of deforestation or natural disaster, this indicates that you’ll soon struggle with a situation which will test your resilience, strength of knowledge, and your ability to see things clearly. 

Cutting Down a Tree

Dreaming of cutting down a tree indicates that you are wasting your energy and your time somewhere in waking life. Maybe you’ve committed yourself to a long-term project which won’t turn out well, but the knowledge you’ll gain will be at least valuable.

It could be that you want to save a relationship, or salvage a connection with someone that you once had. 

This dream is telling you that you shouldn’t live in the past, or get too caught up in nostalgia so much that you lose sight of the present. 

A Tree is Struck by Lightning

If you dream of a tree being struck by lightning, this is a warning sign. You’ve picked up on the tiniest of cues that something is about to go wrong in waking life. 

This may be in terms of an argument with someone, financial difficulties, misunderstanding, general bad luck, or something else entirely.

You have an inexplicable feeling that something is about to happen, and it won’t be a great experience, but there’s always something to learn.

Alternatively, dreaming about a tree being struck by lightning indicates that you’re finally in a place where you can let go of negativity which has been affecting your life up until now. You’re ready for a new chapter in your life.

A Dead Tree

Dreaming of a dead tree is a sign of something coming to an end. It can indicate that you feel a loss of purpose or sense of fulfillment or direction in your life, but it just means that you need to find something new which will help fill your life with meaning.

If you see a forest of dead trees, this will mean change in more than one aspect of your life, and this may be for better or worse, depending on how you feel during this dream.

Nikita

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