between life and death, two sides of the dealer’s card. But once their roots and mycorrhizas reach the labyrinth of russet pores, where water clings in films to soil particles, they ratchet up their game and grow a foundation. A root system like that, unfettered in its opportunity, was far more resilient than the chunky pistons grown in Styrofoam tubes in the nursery, where the seedlings intended for plantations were so stuffed with water and nutrients they couldn’t—didn’t need to—sprout adequate roots to partner with fungi to connect with the soil. Their thick needles needed streams of water
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