The UK has quite a few ancient yew trees. Some may be over 2000 years old. Often they are in church grounds (because ones that weren't got cut down to make long bows perhaps?).
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2025/08/ancient-yew-tr...
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2025/08/ancient-yew-tr...
All a matter of having an open and curious mind, I suppose.
Feinman was a curious character.
I suspect that with even a modest breadth of knowlegde a deep investigation of anything brings associations with existing knowledge (interest), unexpected connections and exceptions.