In J.R.R. Tolkien’s mythology, Treebeard is an Ent.
Treebeard, whose Elvish name is Fangorn, is the oldest of the Ents encountered by the characters in The Lord of the Rings. Ents are tree-like beings created to protect the trees and forests of Middle-earth. Their name comes from an Old English word meaning “giant.”
Merry and Pippin meet Treebeard in Fangorn Forest after escaping from the Orcs who captured them. Their conversation helps persuade the Ents to confront Saruman, whose industrial expansion around Isengard has destroyed many trees. The Ents’ march against Isengard becomes one of the major turning points in the War of the Ring.
Treebeard is not a tree or an ordinary talking plant. He is a distinct sentient race with his own language, history, and councils. Tolkien connected the Ents’ story to his concern about the destruction of the natural world and the effects of unchecked industrialization.