The grandiose trees are wonders that nature can offer us. They provide us with plenty of oxygen, clean air, protection, paper, wood, shade, among many other things. Also, trees can live much longer than humans and most animals. There are some trees in this world that may have witnessed many generations. So here are the 10 oldest trees in the world still alive.
After all, what is it about trees that makes us love them so much? Is it the fact that they are able to cross the millennia? Why do they go through the cycle of birth, death and rebirth every year, through the seasons? When you think of a tree, what qualities come to mind? Perhaps strength, silence, firmness, flexibility, to name a few.
1 – Old Tjikko
Located exactly on the mountain of Fulufjället, in the province of Dalarna, Sweden, the Norwegian tree is more than 9,550 years old and is known for being the “oldest tree in the world”. However, Old Tjikko, as it is called, is a clonal tree that has generated new trunks, branches and roots over the millennia.
In this way, instead of being an individual long-aged tree, the conifer is a specimen in constant renewal. It is estimated that the current trunk is only a few hundred years old, but that the tree survived through the process of stratification — when a branch makes contact with the ground and a new root is born.
2 - Pando
Still in the midst of clonal trees, the Pando or also known as the Shimmering Giant is a colony of trees born from a single male poplar and with truly impressive numbers.
In practice, the Pando root system, which is considered one of the oldest living organisms in the world, is approximately 80,000 years old.
Its total weight is estimated to be close to 6,615 tons and that it originated near the end of the last Ice Age.
3 – Methuselah
Methuselah, or originally Methuselah, is an ancient bristlecone pine located in the mountains of California. Currently, this is the oldest non-clonal tree on Earth. In 2020, the specimen turned 4,852 years old.
Located at more than 2,900 meters of altitude, the exact place where the tree continues to grow is protected by the United States Forest Service.
With research information: Wikimedia Commons
