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Question: For you, what is the religious significance of the tree as a symbol?
Answer: Man is compared to a tree of the field (Deuteronomy 20:19) in that just as a tree produces fruit, a human also does so by the commandments that s/he performs.
Additionally, we celebrate the new year of the trees on the 15th day of the Jewish month Shevat. That is the coldest point of the winter, and, at that time, the sap of the tree starts to move up, eventually bringing forth growth. Rabbi S.R. Hirsch explains that this reminds us that, even in our darkest hour, there is hope for life and growth.
Rabbi Meir Goldberg
