J.R.R. Tolkien called the tree-like beings in The Lord of the Rings Ents.
The Ents are ancient shepherds of trees who live in Fangorn Forest. Their best-known leader is Treebeard, also called Fangorn. Merry and Pippin meet him after escaping from the Orcs, and their encounter helps awaken the Ents to the destruction caused by Saruman’s forces.
Tolkien’s Ents combine original fantasy with ideas from Old English literature and his own reflections on trees, industrialization, and the loss of nature. Their name is related to the Old English word ent, meaning a giant or a powerful being.
Ents should not be confused with Huorns. Huorns are mysterious tree-like beings associated with Fangorn and the Old Forest, while Ents are articulate, mobile, and organized as a distinct people. The Ents’ assault on Isengard is one of the story’s major turning points.