The oldest trees in the world

Trees are considered to be one of the longest living organisms on our planet. The age of these amazing and majestic green plants is measured by several hundred and even thousands of years. According to official data, there are over 50 “long-livers” on earth, who are more than a thousand years old. We included in the rating the oldest trees in the worldthat are known to science.

10 Jomon Sugi | 2000 years

Djemon Sugi – Japanese plant centenarian from the island of Yakushima. The tree has impressive dimensions, which are 25 meters in height and 16 meters in diameter. Jōmon Sugi is at least 2000 years old, according to researchers.

9. Agatis southern Te Matua Ngare | 2000 years

Agatis southern Te Matua Ngare – the oldest representative of the kauri species from New Zealand. The “Father of the Forest” with a girth of 16,5 meters in diameter has a height of 30 meters. To judge the majestic size of this kauri will help the fact that, according to some estimates, the giant’s woody body would be enough to build 40 wooden houses, and the length of its trunk is more than a passenger train. The approximate age of Te Matua Ngare is estimated at 2000 years.

In connection with a strong storm in 2007, the tree was seriously damaged.

8. Olive tree Vouves | 2000 years

Olive tree Vouves – the oldest among its representatives. Vouves grows on the island of Crete and still bears fruit, despite its age, which, according to some sources, is over 2000 years. For many centuries, the ancient olive has grown 12 meters in height and rounded in diameter up to 3 meters. This woody plant has a very rich history and was considered sacred in ancient times. Numerous hollows at the roots of the plant were a haven for stray animals, and since the 2000s of our century, the Vouves olive has become an attribute of the Olympics. Its branches were used to make wreaths for the winners of the Games. Recently, a museum dedicated directly to this tree has been built.

7. Sequoia dendron giant General Sherman | 2700 years

Sequoia dendron giant General Sherman – Another of the green centenarians in the world, growing in California’s US Sequoia National Park. The tree got its name in honor of Civil War General William Tekuns. It is one of the largest growing organisms on the planet, with a height of over 83 meters and a trunk thickness of 31 meters. General Sherman is approximately 2700 years old.

6. Chestnut hundreds of horses | 2000 – 4000 years

Chestnut “Hundreds of horses” not only one of the oldest trees in the world, but also the largest in girth. There is no exact data on the age of the oldest chestnut in the world, but according to some experts, its age averages from 2000 to 4000 years. The plant got its eccentric name because of the prevailing legend about Queen Aragon and her 100 knights, who were able to hide under the crown of a chestnut tree at the time of a severe thunderstorm. This specimen boasts a set record among other representatives – this is the “thickest” tree on earth with a girth in a circle of almost 58 meters. Thanks to this, the long-liver got into the Guinness Book of Records.

5. Fitzroya cypress Alerche | 3650 years

Fitzroia cypressoid Alerce (Alerche) is a long-lived larch from Chile, growing in the Andes mountains. The approximate age of Alerche is estimated at 3650 years. With a thickness of 10 meters, Fitzroy reaches 70 meters in height. This type of larch is one of the slowest growing, but long-lived.

4. Yew from Llangerny | 4000 years

Yew from Llangerny (Llangernyw Yew) is the oldest living organism on earth, which is about 4000 years old. The plant is a “resident” of north Wales and is considered one of the greatest trees in the UK. The longevity of this yew is due to its ability to give new shoots in the place of the dead. Reaching a diameter of 11 meters, this yew, due to the lack of a central part of the trunk, outwardly resembles Siamese twins.

3. Cypress Zoroastrian Sarv | 4500 years

Cypress Zoroastrian Sarv (Sarv-e Abarku) is a natural monument of Iran and one of the oldest woody plants in the world. The evergreen cypress, estimated at 4500 years old, is believed to be the oldest living creature in Asia. This cypress with its 25 meters height has grown to almost 20 meters in width.

2. Pine Methuselah | 4845 years

Pine Methuselah – one of the oldest trees in the world. This valuable specimen grows in the Inyo National Forest of California, in the USA. The age of the tree, according to experts, is 4845 years. Pine was discovered by American scientist Edmond Shulman in 1953. In 1958, when the society became aware of the centenarian, tourists from different parts of the world began to flock to him. Each of the pilgrims took with him a piece of Methuselah’s bark or branch, which almost led to his death. At present, it is difficult to say about the exact location of Methuselah, since this information is kept secret in order to protect the exhibit from vandalism.

1. Old Tikko | 9550 years

Old Tikko – spruce, whose age is 9550 years, is recognized as the oldest tree on earth. It grows on Mount Falufjellet in Sweden. The age of Old Tiko was determined using radiocarbon dating. If the root system of spruce is thousands of years old, then the trunk is only a few hundred. The fact is that for thousands of years the tree was in a stunted shrub form, and could not develop in harsh conditions. Only in the 20th century did it become a normal tree thanks to global warming, and reached a height of 5 meters. The plant was discovered by Professor Leif Kullman, who gave it the name Old Tico in honor of his deceased dog. Longevity spruce scientists explain by self-cloning – the trunk could die several times, but the root system again gave life to the tree. According to estimates, the current Tiko trunk is only 600 years old, in the place of which, in case of death, another new shoot may appear many years later.

There are several more ancient trees in the world that are not included in the rating, but they cannot be ignored.

These include marsh Cypress Senator from USA. He was one of the ten oldest woody plants in the world until 2012, until he died during a fire. It is noteworthy that the 38-meter giant has been a landmark for Indian tribes for many generations. The cypress got its name in honor of the Missouri senator, who in 1927 donated money to protect it and the surrounding lands. There is practically nothing left of the oldest giant, whose age was determined at 3500 years.

According to some reports, the oldest living organism on earth is a clonal colony of aspen poplar, which was named “Pando”. On an area of ​​46 hectares, about 47 clones of aspens grow, having a single root system, the age of which is more than 80 years! The total mass of the colony is estimated at 000 thousand tons. Therefore, it is not only the oldest clonal plant, but also the heaviest.