One of my still-gestating stories involves a family living in a tree-house.
No, not a house built in or on a tree, but a tree that incorporates biological (or in this case botanical) equivalents for “all the comforts of home”.
You've probably seen pictures of Baobab trees, and that's a good start. I'd need something that grows more quickly though, and whose layout could be planned.
So it would grow more like a copse of trees all growing at once, and forming walls, windows, roof and cellar.
That seems pedestrian enough, except for the possibility of really quick growth, but here's where I depart from ordinary trees.
The tree would provide illumination, with bio-luminescence. Various frequencies of glowing cells would provide the equivalent of display screens inside also.
Even music could be generated by the trees, especially nice if you like woodwinds.
And it would have internal heat regulation as well. There are plants which give off considerable heat when they are driving perfumes into the air in early spring. Measurably exothermic, actually.
Then there is the matter of waste elimination, which we will in consideration of delicacy, not delve into too rigorously, other than to say that plants absorb and thrive on our waste products, and they are natural recyclers.
Okay, what's left?
Communication.
That's a little complex. There aren't any natural analogs for plant communication, other than alleged chemical signaling.
I'll go for root connections. Similar to neuronal synapses, I'll postulate that the tree-house can send and receive signals over great distances by a means of underground telegraphy.
Basically, I'll just gloss over that aspect with a cascade of technological double-speak.
.
So, ... like it?
I like it, especially the technological double-speak. Make sure to include soundproof sections for those who are playing guitar and drums while their family members are trying to sleep.
And if Star Trek can get away with "insert technical sounding stuff here" I don't see why you can't.:)
Of course you could also have all the trees be a offshoot of one tree and because of that connected by a network of roots which would account for the communication.
It would also allow you to have a built in limiting factor that would allow you to have people who can't live in one of those trees in certain areas or cut off communications if the plot seems to demand it.
I sense a tie-in somewhere in there to other tales.
But can’t make the connection brainwise yet.
Need more coffee.