Among all the variety of trees available in nature, some of them are the oldest living trees in this world. These trees are a symbol of pride, robustness, strength, humility, and knowledge. Trees are one of the most beautiful creations of nature and they are essential to ensure the survival of humans in this world. Not only the new trees get planted in our day-to-day life but also the old ones are also conserved to maintain the right balance in nature. In this post, we have enlisted the top 15 oldest trees in the world which are simply adorable in their look.
All these oldest trees in the world have seen a rise and fall of many civilizations. They are the evidence of good and the bad incidents this world has tolerated in its age. Because of their long timespan on this planet, all these old trees are the center of attraction for the tourists from all over the globe. Nowadays, humans are treating nature in a poor way. The destruction of trees is one of the aspects of the poor attitude of people towards nature.
The need of the hour is to conserve all the trees and other natural habitats so as to maintain the beauty of the planet. We share many slogans, thoughts, and catchy lines on our social media profiles. Also, we teach many things to our children about the conservation of nature. But the best way to teach the young generation is by following the route of sustainable development. Meanwhile, have a look at some of the oldest trees of the world which are the pride of this planet. Here is the table as well as the list of the Oldest trees with their names and some important characteristics:
| Tree | Country | Age |
|---|---|---|
| Old Tjikho | Sweden | 9500 |
| Methuselah | California, United States | 5000 |
| Prometheus | United States | 4900 |
| Llangernyw | Wales | 4000-5000 |
| Sarv-e-Abarkuh | Iran | 4000-5000 |
| Fitzroya Cupressoids | Chile | 3600 |
| The Tree of One Hundred Horses | Sicily | 2000-4000 |
| The Senator | Florida, USA | 3500 |
| The President Tree | United States | 3200 |
| Jai Shree Maha Bodhi | India | 2302 |
| Jurupa Oak | California, US | 13000 |
| Ponda | United States | 80000-100000 |
| Old Huan Pine | United States | 10000 |
Old Tjikho
Old Tjikho, also known as the world’s ”oldest living tree” is located on Fulufajallet Mountain in Dalarna province of Sweden. It is difficult to imagine after seeing this Norway’s spruce that it is one of the oldest trees of the world. Old Tjikho got his name after the death of the dog of one of the researches who took part in discovering this tree. The age of this tree is estimated to be 9550 years and it started sprouting in the harsh Tundra region at the time of the last ice age. In order to avoid any damage to the tree, its age has been calculated by analysing the age of the material found under it.
Methuselah
It is a great basin bristlecone pine located in California’s the White Mountains. Methuselah ages around 5000 years and it is the oldest non-clonal tree available on this planet. In order to protect it, its exact location is not revealed to anyone. Methuselah was discovered in the year 1957 by Tom Harlen and Edmund Schulman. It has been said that it is even older than the famous Egyptian pyramids and it is named after the popular Biblical figure, Methuselah.
Prometheus
Prometheus is another tree in the list of oldest trees in the world. Although the tree does not exist anymore, its age estimated at the time of its discovery was around 4900 years. Prometheus was even older than Methuselah and located among other trees at the Wheeler Park in the USA. The geographer, Donald R. Currey was given the permission to estimate its age using carbon dating. Due to errors in his extraction, the entire tree was cut down and it led to the end of this beautiful creation of nature.
Llangernyw
Llangernyw belongs to common yew species and its age is somewhat between 4000-5000 years. The exact date of the tree is not known because it is difficult to conduct dating because its core has been lost. It has several offshoots located outside the central area. David Bellamy, English botanist gave the certificate to the church in Llangernyw about its age. The location of the tree is at the Churchyard of St. Digain’s church in Llangernyw village. In Welsh mythology, there is a belief that this tree is associated with spirit Angelystor, which comes every year on Halloween to tell about the death of a parishioner in the following year.
Sarv-e Abarkuh
Sarv-e Abarkuh, also known as The Zoroastrian Sarv is a tree of cypress species located in central Iran. It is known as Zoroastrian Sarv because it is believed to be planted by Zoroaster, an Iran Prophet. The tree is considered Iranian national monument and it is under the protection of Cultural Heritage Organisation of Iran. What makes this tree all the more popular is its old age, large size, and the legendary history. This is one of the fascinating as well as the oldest trees in the world.
Fitzroya Cupressoides
This tree belongs to cypress family and is located in Andes mountains of Southern Chile and Argentina. It is long species which grows in the range of 40-60 m and also a skinny evergreen tree. It is one of the oldest trees in the world and also known by names such as Alerce, lauhan, and Patagonian cypress. Many types of such species are discovered by scientists but a special care is given to only this trees because of its old age. According to records, the age of this tree is around 3600 years.
The Tree of One Hundred Horses
The tree of One hundred horses is not only one of the oldest trees in the world under the categories of the chestnut trees but is also the largest one. It is located in Linguaglossa road in Sant’Alfia, on the eastern slope of Mouth Etna in Sicily. This tree holds Guinness world record for its girth. It has a circumference of 190 feet according to the records available. The story of its name is very interesting. It was named after old legend where the queen of Aragon and 100 Knights along with her took shelter under the branches of the tree when they got caught in the thunderstorm. The age of this tree is not exactly known but is around 2000-4000 years old which makes it another entry in our list of the oldest trees in the world.
The Senator
The Senator does not exist anymore as it got destroyed in a fire in the forest area. It was located at Longwood in Florida. Earlier it was concluded that the fire took place due to lightning but later after findings, it was clear that the fire was lit by a person while smoking. Initially, the height of the tree was 50 m but it was reduced to 36 m after it was destroyed from its top by a hurricane. According to estimates, its age was found to be around 3500 years. After its destruction due to fire, its clone of height 50 m was made in the park and named “Phoenix”.
The President Tree
The tree has been named after the president “Warren G. Harding” in 1923. Neither it is the tallest nor the widest tree but it is the second largest when we compare it with others in terms of its truck. It is the oldest living sequoia tree about 3200 years old and it is located in the Giat Forest of Sequoia National Park in the United States.
Jaya Shri Maha Bodhi
Jaya Shri Maha Bodhi tree is considered to be originated from the sapling of Maha Bodhi tree of Body Gaya. It is the oldest trees in the world which are planted by humans with a record of its plantation. It is believed to be plated in 249 BC and considered as a part of Shri Maha Bodhi Tree, where Mahatma Buddha attained enlightenment. People from all over the world come to worship this tree as it is considered as the sacred tree by all Buddhists. Its age is estimated to be 2302 years old.
Jurupa Oak
Jurupa Oak is a clonal colony of Palmer’s Oak tree in the Jurupa Mountains of California in the USA. The secret of its survival is the clonal reproduction as this colony only grows after wildfires after the sprouting of its burned branches into new shoots. The age of this tree is around 13000 years and it is one of the world’s oldest living trees. In the beginning, these trees were overlooked by scientists. But after a close analysis, they come to a conclusion that these trees fall in the category of clonal trees.
Ponda
It tops the list of the oldest trees in the world but also the heaviest one. This giant tree is found in Fishlake National Forest, Utah, in the US and it spans over 107 acres because of a large number of stems. Due to the heavy weight of stems as well as roots, Ponda is the heaviest species in the world. The age of this tree is estimated to be in the range of 80000-100000 years.
Old Huon Pine
Old Huon Pine is found in Mount Read, Tasmania, Australia. Most of the individual trees age 3000 years old. But these trees are part of the clonal grove which is 10,000 years old.
So, these are the top 15 oldest trees in the world. All these trees have seen a lot of time and they enjoy an interesting history. A proper conservation of these old trees is ensured by various organisations as they are the heritage of this world. We hope you liked reading about these trees and had a good time.