The answer
Because each node in a tree is itself a tree (a subtree). The children of a node are trees. This self-similar structure makes recursion the natural approach for traversal, search, and manipulation.
Recursion for Tree Traversal in JavaScript
Why are trees naturally recursive data structures?
More FAQs in Recursion for Tree Traversal in JavaScript
function traverse(node) { callback(node); if (node.children) node.children.forEach(child => traverse(child)); }. Process the current node, then recurse into each child. The base case is implicit (no children = no recursion).
function walkDOM(node, callback) { callback(node); Array.from(node.children).forEach(child => walkDOM(child, callback)); }. Call the callback on the current node, then recurse into each child element.
function inorder(node) { if (!node) return; inorder(node.left); console.log(node.value); inorder(node.right); }. Visit left subtree, then root, then right subtree. Returns values in sorted order for a BST.
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