How old is the oldest pine tree? The oldest trees on the planet
Silent creations of nature have proudly risen above the earth for dozens of centuries, while one generation gives way to another. Some of these natural wonders have extended their branches for more than 5,000 years, delighting us with their beauty and grandeur. They grow in different parts world, allowing people to admire themselves and touch their old trunks with warm wood. Do you want to know about the oldest trees on Earth?
Thule tree
A Tule tree (Taxodium mexicanum) grows near a church in the town of Santa Maria del Tule, Oaxaca, Mexico. The name of the tree “ahuehuete” is translated from the Nahuatl Indian language as “ old man from the water." According to ancient legend, it was planted by a priest of the wind god about 1,400 years ago. However, the exact age of the tree is unknown. IN different sources it ranges from 1433 to 1600 years. Although if you believe one hypothesis, then in fact the Thule tree is 6000 years old!
The tree of life (unofficial name of the tree) has most large diameter trunk 14 meters in the world! It takes at least 30 people to grab it. The tree is about 40 meters high, and up to 500 people can cool off in its shade. Truly a majestic tree!
"Thousand-Year Larch" (Spanish: Alerce Milenario)
"Thousand-Year Larch" is a famous tree in national park"Los Alerces", which is located in the province of Chubut, Argentina. The tree is approximately 2620 years old. Also an honorable age. Do you agree? The height of the “Thousand-Year Larch” is 57.5 meters. And the diameter is 2.3 meters. - a natural landmark and pride of Argentina.
The name “Alerce” itself is the Spanish version of Fitzroya cupressoides. The genus of these trees is named after the captain of the Beagle, Robert Fitzroy. This ship was used for a round-the-world expedition in 1831-1836 with the participation of Charles Darwin, the famous scientist. Fitzroya cypress– long-lived evergreen tree and is one of the oldest tree species.
Interestingly, in Chile there is also a famous old Fitzroya cypress called , although it is often called again “Alerce Milenario”. Apparently this name is used for all old Fitzroy trees that have lived for more than 1000 years. It is located in the Alerce Costero National Park, between the communes of Corral (province of Valdivia) and La Union (province of Ranco) in the Los Rios region. This tree is 3643 years old! Taking a photo and touching it is the dream of every tourist and nature lover.
View of national park Chile "Alerce Costero".
Tree "The Senator"
Its ancient roots grow in the lands of Florida, USA, namely in big park the small town of Longwood. This is a beautiful Swamp Cypress ascendant called "Senator" which is considered tallest and oldest in its own way. How old is he? About 3,500 years old. The answer to the second question that interests you. Why "Senator"? The tree is named after Senator Moses Overstreet, who donated the tree and part of the land to Seminole County in 1927 to create the park.
The history of the tree is amazing. This giant has survived several hurricanes, including the 1925 hurricane, after which the tree became 14 meters shorter. The top of the tree broke off, and the tree became 36 meters high, instead of 50. But the incident on January 16, 2012 broke it completely. In the literal sense of the word. A fire occurred, the causes of which have not been fully identified; the tree burned from the inside, and after a while it simply collapsed. All that's left is "Senator's stump" approximately 6.5 meters high.
Also interesting is the fact that not far from the “Senator”, at a distance of 12 meters, another old cypress grows "Lady Liberty"(English: Lady Liberty). This tree was considered a satellite of the "Senator". After the fire, “Lady” was left alone.
"Lady Liberty"
Yew berry
Two representatives of this species are fighting for the right to be the oldest berry yew in Europe, and perhaps on the planet.
Contender #1. Fortingall yew. It is located in the courtyard of a church in the village of Fortingall, Scotland. The age of the tree is not precisely determined, because its trunk “stratified” into several separate ones, and the core rotted. According to various studies, the age of the Fortingall yew varies from 2000 to 5000 years. Local legend says that the future Roman ruler Pontius Pilate was born in the shade of this tree and spent his childhood there.
Contender No. 2. Tees Llangerny. It grows in the churchyard of St Digain's Church in the village of Llangerney, Wales, UK. This tree is also missing pith, again making age determination difficult. Experts estimate that the Llangerny yew is also approximately 1500-5000 years old. The research of botanist David James Bellamy is apparently the most significant, since a certificate signed by him proudly hangs near the tree, stating that the tree is from 4000 to 5000 years old.
Methuselah tree
The Methuselah tree is an intermountain bristlecone pine, magnificent and beautiful. She can charm even from afar. Her age is 4847 years. It is in excellent shape and grows somewhere in the Shulman Grove, in the White Mountains of Inyo County, California, USA. The grove is named after the scientist-researcher Edmund Shulman, who found “Methuselah” and began to deeply study the intermountain spinal pines in the forests of the White Mountains.
Edmund Shulman at work.
Edmund Shulman on the left.
Sample trees to study.
This small intermountain bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) is approximately 50 years old.
If you want to see the tree, we hasten to inform you that appearance and the location of the tree is kept secret to prevent vandalism. The fact is that there are still bad memories of 1964, when the US Forest Service gave permission to a young graduate student to cut down a Prometheus pine for research. Before this incident "Prometheus" was the oldest tree. This horrific experience led to a movement to protect the intermountain bristlecone pines on Wheeler Peak. Thus, without disclosing where it grows "Methuselah", authorities protect the tree. To confirm that it is still alive, new photographs of it appear on the Internet from time to time. But is it his?..
Stump from the Prometheus pine tree.
Oldest living tree
The oldest living free-standing tree also belongs to the species Intermountain bristlecone pine. His age is 5064 years! The archaic tree also grows in the White Mountains of Inyo County, California, USA. Dendrochronologist Thomas Harlan, who determined its age, kept the location of the tree secret. After his death in 2013, someone else apparently became the keeper of the secret.
Inyo National Park in the White Mountains of Inyo County, California, USA.
Scientist Thomas Harlan.
The value of the tree is also increased by the fact that it is not a clone tree, that is, it does not belong to a clonal colony (many trees that are united by a common root system). Yes, this phenomenon occurs not only in mushrooms. For example, the most famous clonal colony is Pando. It is considered a single living organism because it has one huge root system. Although outwardly it looks like an ordinary grove of poplars. Root system Pando weighs 6,000 tons. And the age of the entire organism is 80,000 years! Amazing! But that's a completely different story...
Pando.
It’s hard to believe that there are still living representatives of a ten-thousand-year-old civilization on earth; these are trees. Silent witnesses to the rise and fall of civilizations, climate change, the development of science and technology, majestically keep all the secrets of the earth.
The oldest trees are scattered throughout the earth and are ancient monuments.
The oldest tree on earth, pine Methuselah , which is more than 4840 years old, is carefully protected from the public. It is only known that this ancient keeper of history still lives in the White Mountains of California, in the National Forest. Of course, every visitor can visit the park; which of the oldest Methuselah trees everyone must determine for himself.
2nd place
Cypress Sarv-e Abarqu, growing in Yazd province, Iran, became national pride, protected by the state, guardian of the history of human civilization for more than 4,000 years. Perhaps this is the most ancient tree in Asia.
3rd place
At the local cemetery, near the village church Llangernyw , growing witness Bronze Age, a yew tree that is about 4,000 years old. This tree is included in the list of the 50 most big trees Britain. The secret of an evergreen tree is simple: it constantly produces shoots that, like children and grandchildren, continue its life.
4th place
Andes mountains keep trees . The guardians of the mountains have been standing here for more than 3600 years, the age is, of course, approximate, but there is a sample whose years were measured by latest technology, and was found to be 3640 years old.
5th place
Bald cypress got a name Senator. He is about 3500 years old, this “old man” grows in the state of Florida. During his time, the Senator served as a guide for the Indians and other tribes. The hurricane of 1925 shortened the height of the giant by almost 5 meters.
The tree is named after the senator who donated his land on which the huge tree grew in 1927 to the national park.
6th place
The species Cariniana legalis is represented by a long-lived tree named . This giant grows in Brazil, it is about 3000 years old. It is considered the oldest deciduous tree in Brazil. The tree is considered national symbol, sacred rituals are performed around it.
7th place
Ancient olive tree grows on the lands of Greek Crete, its age ranges between 2000 and 3000 years, perhaps due to the fact that olive trees are resistant to weather changes and even fire-resistant. The most amazing fact is that the tree bears fruit even in our time, and its fruits have a very high price.
8th place
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Japan's oldest tree has long passed the 2,000-year mark; some experts are inclined to believe that the tree is more than 5,000 years old.
9th place
Sicily is proud of its giant, the chestnut 100 Horses . 2000, or maybe all 4000 years growing on a slope active volcano Etna, the oldest tree on the planet. Legend has it that during a thunderstorm, 100 riders and horses found cover under this tree, hence the name of the old chestnut tree. The Guinness Book of Records recorded the giant's record as the most big tree in girth.
10th place
A powerful giant named General Sherman , which is more than 2,500 years old, grows in California's Sequoia National Park. In 2006 huge tree, surrounded by a fence, literally broke its “cage” overnight. The volume of General Sherman is one of the largest in the world.
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The oldest trees on the planet grow in pristine corners of nature and protected groves. No man has set foot here, and the ax did not disturb the peace of the giants.
1. El Tikko, 9500 thousand years old
"In the wild north, it stands alone..." The most old spruce grows on Mount Fulufjallet in Sweden. The age of the tree was obtained by radiocarbon dating of the root system. N The current trunk of Tikko looks inconspicuous, it is several hundred years old and is no more than 5 meters high. Apparently, the old tree died, but the surviving roots gave rise to new growth. 9.5 thousand years in Europe after the melting of the glacier, a relatively warm boreal period began, when broadleaf forests reached White Sea in the north of the East European Plain.
2. Dragon trees, age 7-9 thousand years
An old Indian legend says that a long time ago, in the Arabian Sea on the island of Socotra, not far from Yemen, there lived a bloodthirsty dragon who attacked elephants and drank their blood. But one day one old and strong elephant fell on the dragon and crushed it. Their blood mixed and wet the ground around them. In this place, trees grew called dracaenas (ancient Greek δράκαινα), which translated means “female dragon.”
When the trunk of a dracaena is cut, a red resinous juice emerges, which is called “the blood of two brothers” or “cinnabar,” and one of the dracaenas is called “cinnabar-red.”
3. Sarv-e Abar-Kuh, or “Zoroastrian Sarv”, age 4-4.5 thousand years
This mighty cypress grows in Iran in the Yazd province. Its age coincides with the period when Asian blacksmiths forged the first chariot. How much water has flown under the bridge since how far we have come human civilization, and in the shadow of this handsome man tired travelers can find coolness! The height of the tree is 25 meters, 18 meters in girth. Sarv is national monument and one of the main attractions.
4. "Tree of a Hundred Horses", age from 2 to 4 thousand years
In Sant'Alfio, on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, grows the oldest chestnut tree in the world. According to legend, the Queen of Aragon and a hundred knights accompanying her took refuge from the rain under the crown of this chestnut tree. This tree is the most voluminous on Earth, because the girth of its trunk is about 58 meters. It's amazing how this could survive relict tree just 8 kilometers from the active volcano Etna.
5. Yew from the village of Hyangernyf, 4000 years old
In north Wales, on the grounds of a small church, an old, old yew tree grows. There are many legends and traditions about him. One of them says that under the yew tree lives an evil spirit, which on Halloween in an eerie voice calls the names of those villagers who are supposed to die this year. Those who don't believe this can go to the village on Halloween and check the truth of the legend. All conditions have been created for tourists.
6. Methuselah Pine, 4000 years old
Bristol pine in Shulman Grove from California White Mountains National Park. The tree got its name in honor of the oldest biblical character, Methuselah, who lived 969 years before the Flood.
7. General Sherman, 2300-2700 years old
Sequoia grows in the US National Park giant tree, which was named after the general of the North-South War in the United States in 1861-1865 - William Sherman. It is not only one of the oldest on the planet, but also the tallest among its fellows. The height of the tree is 84 meters, the diameter of the trunk at the base is 31. This tree is still growing, adding approximately 1.5 centimeters in girth every year. Near Sherman, practical Americans indicated that 40 houses could be built from the wood of this sequoia, and if it were placed next to by passenger train, then it would be much longer.
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8. Skhtorashen plane tree, 2000 years old
The same age as our civilization is growing in Nagorno-Karabakh. In the local language it is called Tnjri. The height of the tree is 54 meters, and the diameter of the trunk is about 27 meters. At the base of the tree there is a huge hollow with an area of about 44 square meters, which can accommodate about fifty people if desired. The ancients considered the plane tree to be the “tree of life.”
9. "Ifaty Teapot", 1200 years old
In Madagascar, Toliara, grows amazing baobab. One well-known song talks about baobab trees that live 1000 years. This tree was called "teapot" because of its shape. Particularly curious people even calculated how much water this “kettle” can hold – about 117 thousand liters.
10. Bowthorpe Oak, 1200 years old
In the area of Manthorpe in the east of Great Britain the Bowthorpe oak grows. Its coverage is 12.75 meters, and the hollow can accommodate 39 people. This is one of the oldest oak trees in Europe.
Scientists have found out what took root many eons ago. Everyone known fact that trees can live longer than a person several times. But few people know that there are trees that live with creation times Egyptian pyramids and have survived more than one civilization. Scientists claim that there are several dozen trees on Earth, the age of which is more than 1000. But in fact, there may be even more of them, since there are many unexplored places where man has not yet been able to reach.
The oldest tree on earth is located in California - Methuselah, it is named after the biblical forefather. The tree was born many centuries ago - in the 19th century BC. Methuselah is classified as a species of bristlecone pine. It’s hard to imagine, but the tree has been growing since the time of the first Egyptian pyramid! It grows at an altitude of more than three thousand meters above sea level on a hillside in the Inyo National Forest. Methuselah was found by American scientist Edmond Shulman in 1953. In 1958, the tree became very popular; tourists from all over the world came to see it. Due to the fact that every third tourist broke off a piece of bark or twig from it, the tree almost died. On at the moment The exact location of the pine tree is unknown, in order to protect Methuselah from vandalism.
But this is far from the only old tree on Earth; we invite you to get acquainted with several more types of ancient trees that witnessed the change of eras and witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations:
In California, scientists discovered another old tree - it was counted 5062. This is a pine tree that has not yet been named. But it is believed that this is the oldest living organism on all of Earth, which appeared with the beginning of our civilization.
Senator. The height of the tree is 36 meters, the lifespan of the tree is 3500 years. The Senator is growing in America, the state of Florida, the city of Longwood. Since ancient times, the tree has been a landmark for an ancient Indian tribe. Was able to survive several terrible hurricanes, but in 2012 the tree died. So one of the city residents set it on fire, the real reason so it is unknown.
Jomon Sugi. The long-living tree grows in Japan on the island of Yakushima. The length of the tree is 25 meters, the width is 16 meters. Lives on earth for about 2000 years.
In the US Sequoia National Park there is a huge General Sherman sequoia. Sequoia bears the title of not only one of the oldest trees in the world, but also the tallest. Its height reaches 84 meters, diameter - 31 meters. Scientists cannot give an exact age, approximately from 2300 to 2700 years. But what is interesting and inexplicable is that the tree continues to grow today. Over the course of a year, the diameter of General Sherman increases by about one and a half centimeters.
Te Matua Ngaere. One of the oldest representatives of the cowrie species. It grows in New Zealand and is the elder of its forest. The height of the tree reaches 30 meters, and its diameter is 16 meters. According to some estimates, it was revealed that about 40 houses could be built from wood. The estimated age of Te Matua Ngaere is about 2000 years.
Yomon Suji. One of the oldest cypress trees on Yakushima Island, Japan. Thanks to this tree, the island was listed World Heritage UNESCO. At the moment, it is impossible to say exactly how old the tree is, as some researchers suggest that it is more than 2 thousand years old, while others claim that it is over 5 thousand years old.
Vouves tree. It is the oldest olive tree. A tree grows on the island of Crete. According to experts, the tree is more than 3 thousand years old. Vuves reaches 12 meters in height, and its diameter is 3 meters. This olive tree has a rich and rich history. For example, in the 2000s, a tree became an attribute of the Olympics. Wreaths were woven from its branches for the winners Olympic Games. In Crete there is even a museum dedicated to an old olive tree, where you can learn how olive oil is produced and stored.
An old tree grows near Catania, on the eastern slope of Mount Etna. A representative of this species is considered a hero in the same way that Mount Etna is active volcano, and Chestnut grows only eight kilometers from it. The tree is between 2000 and 4000 years old. There is a legend associated with this tree, which tells that during strong storm About a hundred knights hid under it. The circumference of the tree is about 58 meters, for this reason the Hundred Horse Chestnut is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
Fitzroya cypress alerche. Growing in the Andes Mountains, the long-lived larch comes from Chile. According to rough estimates, the tree is about 3650 years old. Width and height, 10 meters and 70 meters - respectively. The species of ancient plant is classified as slow-growing, but at the same time long-lived.
Yew of Llangernew. One of ancient plants on earth, which is about 4 thousand years old. The centenarian grows in north Wales, UK. Recognized the greatest tree countries. The volume of the tree is 11 meters. It's interesting that Yew resembles two conjoined twins, and all due to the lack of a barrel core.
Jurupa Oak. The tree is located in the vast California valley. First, scientists discovered a large stump, and only then saw that 70 wood defects measuring one meter in size grow from it. This stump is already about 13 thousand years old. Experts say the oak witnessed the latter ice age on the ground.
In Madagascar it grows very unusual baobab, they call it Teapot Ifatin. The tree got its nickname because of its unique shape, which resembles a teapot. Scientists even calculated the approximate amount of water that a “kettle” could hold - 117 liters.
Growing in the east of Great Britain old oak- Bowthorpe. It is called one of the oldest oak representatives. Bowthorpe dates back 1,200 years. Its diameter is about 13 meters. Scientists have calculated that 39 people can fit in the hollow of this tree.
There are many trees with record life expectancy in Russia, and there are some in Moscow. It is interesting to find out where many old trees grow, as well as details about the oldest tree on the planet.
The oldest tree in Russia
In Russia there is a register where all the oldest trees growing in the country are entered. Almost twenty of the oldest trees have protected status natural objects. Each old tree is inspected and studied before being included in the register. This is done by a commission that includes botanists, forest scientists, ecologists, and forest pathologists. During the research, the species, condition of the tree and its age are determined. The oldest trees are protected and, if required, measures are taken to promote the preservation of the tree. In addition, a sign is installed indicating the status and age of the centenarian.In Russia, the register includes an oak tree growing in Chuvashia that is four hundred and eighty years old, a four hundred year old oak tree on the Don, and a plane tree from Dagestan that is seven hundred years old. There are also several Cajander larches, growing in a whole area in Yakutia, ranging in age from seven hundred and fifty to eight hundred and eighty-five years. The list also included growing in Kaliningrad region"Grunwald Oak", which is more than eight hundred years old.
The oldest tree grows in Yakutia. This is a larch tree that is eight hundred and eighty-five years old. Interestingly, she is not different at all large sizes. So its diameter at the level of a person’s chest is only twenty-five centimeters, and its height is no more than nine meters. Such modest sizes are associated with complex climatic conditions in the place where the long-lived tree grows. The height of the tree increases by no more than 0.22 mm per year.
Among the growing larches in Yakutia, many dry trunks have been preserved. Among them, a tree was discovered that grew from the year three hundred and ten to the year one thousand two hundred and twenty-eight, that is, its life expectancy was about nine hundred and nineteen years. This record is documented as the longest life of a tree in Russia.
Since in Yakutia many long-lived trees grow in one area, scientists propose giving this forest area the status of a protected area.
The oldest tree in Moscow
It is believed that the oldest trees in the capital grow in Kolomensky Park; these are oaks, whose age is approximately equal to the age of Moscow itself. A tree of the same age grows in Kuskovsky Park. This is a veteran oak. All these oak trees are estimated to be between four hundred and six hundred years old. According to some scientists, in Kolomensky Park there are oak trees whose age has exceeded a thousand years.
One of the oldest Moscow trees is considered to be a three-hundred-year-old willow growing in the botanical garden of Moscow State University. Apothecary garden" This botanical garden- the oldest in Russia.
Where are there a lot of old trees?
There are places on earth where many old trees grow. One such place is Mount Fulu in Sweden. Scientists, taking a census of trees, accidentally discovered pine trees there that are several thousand years old. There is a pine tree growing there, which is supposedly about ten thousand years old. It’s surprising that several other record-breaking pines grow next to it.
In America, in the state of Utah, there is a colony of poplars, which are supposed to be at least eighty thousand years old. The fact is that poplars do not live much, but a poplar colony exists as single organism with a common root system, producing new shoots from time to time. It turns out that all poplars today are clones of a single tree.
The neighbors of the elder among the trees of Methuselah are trees that could well have witnessed the beginning of our era. There is a park in the USA where there are several cypress trees that are at least three and a half thousand years old - this is Big Tree Park. Many long-lived redwoods can be found in the California National Park. There also grows a tree whose name is “General Shermann,” which is the tallest and at the same time one of the oldest on the planet.
It is quite possible that people will discover many new oldest trees. After all, many of them grow in remote corners, where people rarely set foot, and where they can only be found by chance. By the way, sequoias, according to the site, are also the largest plants in the world. They easily grow over 100 meters in height. True, this requires more than a dozen years.
The world's oldest tree
In California national forest Inyo is the oldest tree on the planet, which is four thousand eight hundred and forty-two years old. He was given the name "Methuselah". This is an intermountain bristlecone pine. Judging by its age, the tree grew when none of the pyramids had yet been built in Egypt.
This tree was discovered by one of the botanists in the mid-twentieth century. For five years, scientists studied this pine, after which a message about Methuselah appeared in “ National Geographic" To protect the tree, information about its exact location is not disclosed. This is done to avoid vandalism. Several teams of scientists claim that it is not Methuselah who is long-lived, but a pine tree growing in Sweden, whose age is about ten thousand years.
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