Treebeard and the other Ents in J.R.R. Tolkien’s mythology were talking trees.
Ents were ancient shepherds of trees who lived in Fangorn Forest. Treebeard, whose Sindarin name is Fangorn, is the best-known Ent and appears prominently in The Two Towers. He is described as extremely old and slow-moving, with a deep concern for the destruction of forests.
The Ents were inspired in part by Tolkien’s interest in trees and by the idea of beings who could confront the consequences of industrial destruction. Their attack on Isengard is one of the major turning points in The Lord of the Rings.
Ents are sometimes confused with Huorns, mysterious tree-like beings associated with Fangorn Forest. Tolkien distinguishes them in the story, although the exact boundary between Ents and Huorns is intentionally shadowy.