India, April 9 -- While most trees might wither or die when struck by lightning, the 'Almendro' (Dipteryx oleifera), a tropical tree native to Panama's rainforests, has stunned scientists with its surprising reaction to lightning: it thrives. The tree shows improved growth after being hit, according to a study published in New Phytologist. Researchers from institutions including the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the University of Louisville studied lightning strikes across a lowland forest at the Barro Colorado Island in Panama. What they found could change the way we understand how lightning impacts ecosystems.

According to the researchers, not every tree handles lightning the same way. Some species are extremely sensitive...