The oldest tree in the world, Methuselah, is a Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva). It’s estimated to be 4,854 years old and is located in California’s White Mountains.
The exact location of Methuselah is a secret held by the U.S. Forest Service to safeguard it from vandalism and excessive tourism.
Bristlecone pines, known for their lengthy lifespans, owe their endurance to their ability to thrive in harsh conditions.
They grow at high elevations in the western United States, enduring cold temperatures, strong winds, and low oxygen levels. Their slow growth rate helps them conserve water and energy.
Methuselah’s remarkable age is also due to its avoidance of major disruptions like wildfires and insect outbreaks.
The White Mountains, being remote, have provided a protective environment for its growth.
Interesting facts about Great Basin bristlecone pine
Bristlecone pines, some of which live for more than 5,000 years, hold the title as Earth’s longest-lived non-clonal organisms.
- They thrive in harsh conditions at high elevations in the western United States, enduring cold temperatures, strong winds, and low oxygen levels.
- Their slow growth rate is an adaptation that helps them save water and energy.
- Their dense and heavy wood makes them resistant to insects, fungi, rot, and weathering. Unlike most other pines, their needles can stay on the tree for up to 40 years.
- In the ecosystems they call home, bristlecone pines have an essential role. They provide food and shelter for various wildlife species, making them valuable contributors to their environments.
Ten Oldest Trees In The World
Why Old Tjikko Is Not Ranked As The Oldest Tree In The World
Old Tjikko, a Norway spruce, is 9,550 years old. It grows on Fulufjället Mountain in Sweden’s Dalarna province. Originally, it was famous as the “world’s oldest tree.”
However, it’s a clonal tree that has grown new trunks, branches, and roots over many years, rather than being a single tree of great age.
Old Tjikko holds the title as the oldest living Picea abies and the fourth-oldest known clonal tree.
How Old Tjikko Age Was Determined
Researchers used carbon dating to find out the tree’s age. They collected genetically matched plant material from under the tree because dendrochronology doesn’t apply to clonal trees.
The trunk itself is thought to be just a few centuries old.
Still, the tree has endured for much longer because of processes like layering (where a branch touches the ground and grows a new root) and vegetative cloning (when the trunk dies but the root system survives and sprouts a new trunk).
Old Tjikko Vs Great Basin bristlecone pine (Methuselah)
Old Tjikko’s root system, located on Fulufjället Mountain in Sweden, is estimated to be 9,565 years old, making it the world’s oldest Norway spruce. It stands 5 meters (16 feet) tall.
But, the title for the oldest individual, non-clonal trees goes to the Great Basin bristlecone pine trees from California and Nevada in the United States.
They’re around 4,854 years old, confirmed through tree-ring cross-referencing, showing they’ve lived for almost five millennia.
Quick Facts About The Oldest Tree In The World
- Bristlecone pines develop twisted and gnarled trunks due to their challenging growth conditions.
- The oldest known bristlecone pine, Prometheus, met its end in 1963. It was more than 5,000 years old.
- Native Americans have relied on bristlecone pines for centuries, using them for food, medicine, and tools.
- Bristlecone pines hold significance as a part of the cultural and natural heritage of the western United States.
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