Lignocellulosic resources have sparked growing scientific interest given their renewable nature and CO2 storage capacity. Wood, the most abundant natural lignocellulosic biomass on earth, provides manifold opportunities to utilize its excellent properties. Its hierarchical structure, bridging from the nanoscale of cell wall components to the integrative level of the stem of trees, can be utilized for various material concepts and applications. Besides common uses in construction, furniture, or pulp and paper production, developing functional wood and wood-derived materials has gained increasing attention in recent years [1, 2].  This talk focuses on the exciting opportunities arising from the modification and functionalization of wood by taking advantage of its hierarchical structure. Wood consists of cell walls with a rigid molecular structure and anisotropic properties but also provides high porosity at higher length scales of cells and tissues. This combination of excellent mechanical properties and high porosity makes wood a highly suitable scaffolding material for developing high-performance composites and hybrid materials. Tailored wood treatments, ideally following green chemistry principles, can be applied to equip wood materials with new functions and improved properties. Several approaches for obtaining functional wood materials will be presented, including the recent development of a sustainable piezoelectric wood material achieved by the growth of  Rochelle salt crystals in the structurally modified wood scaffold [3].