The 30+ Oldest Trees in the Entire World

Some trees live extraordinarily long lives. It makes you wonder what memories they could reveal if they could talk, even if they have stayed in exactly the same spot since they germinated. Interestingly, nearly all ancient trees are conifers. Scientists believe that conifers are tougher than most broad-leafed trees. They tend to have thicker bark that protects them from pests, diseases, and fire. Additionally, their needles are more efficient when it comes to dissipating heat than broad leaves, and they thrive in challenging conditions. Here are over 30 of the oldest trees in the world.

Bristlecone Pines

Arguably the oldest trees in the world are Great Basin bristlecone pines found in the United States. The very species name, longaeva, means “long ago.” One of these trees is unnamed and believed to be over 5,065 years old. However, a tree called Methuselah is considered to be the world’s oldest non-clonal tree. Methuselah, which lives in California’s White Mountains, is believed to be 4,855 years old. Another tree, Prometheus, was even older. It was believed to be around 4,900 years old when it was felled in 1964.

Both Prometheus and the unnamed bristlecone pine were and are in Nevada’s Wheeler Peak. Another bristlecone pine, Raintree, lives in Spring Mountains, Nevada. It’s thought to be around 3,000 years old. A Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine, CB-90-11, is found in Colorado and is believed to be around 2,466 years old.

Even the needles on bristlecone pines are long-lived. Some stay green for as long as 45 years.

Other Pines

Other pines that are very long-lived include limber and foxtail pines. KET 3996, a limber pine found in Ketchum, Idaho, is believed to be 1,725 years old. Another, BFR-46 is found in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains and is believed to be 1,697 years old. In Northern New Mexico grows another limber pine, ERE, whose age is thought to be around 1,670 years. An unnamed limber pine in South Park, Colorado is about 1,661 years old, while another nameless limber pine from central Colorado is about 1,542 years old. Finally, a Heldreich’s pine named Italus is thought to be around 1,235 years old. You’ll find this venerable tree in Italy’s Pollino National Park.

The foxtail pine RCR 1 is believed to be 1,666 years old, while BBL2 is around 1,649 years old. Both of these ancient trees are found in California’s Sierra Nevada.

The Millennial Larch

This Patagonian cypress is known as Alerce Milenario or Gran Abuelo. The first means “Millennial Larch”, while the second name means “Old Grandfather.” This tree, which is found in Alerce Costero National Park in Chile, is at least 5,000 years old! However, it might be as old as 5,484 years. Sadly, most of the tree is probably dead, and only its roots are still alive.

Other Cypresses

BLK227, a bald cypress, is found in Three Sisters Cove in North Carolina. It’s estimated to be around 2,648 years old. Another bald cypress, BCK 69, is around 1,657 years old and found in North Carolina’s Bladen County. An unnamed Nootka cypress on Canada’s Vancouver Island is around 1,636 years old.

Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi

Despite this famous tree being over 2,300 years old, we know when it was planted and who planted it. This sacred Bo tree, which is a type of fig, comes from a cutting of the Sri Maha Bodhi, the tree The Buddha sat under to achieve enlightenment. Sangamitta Maha Theri, who was both a Buddhist nun and a daughter of India’s Emperor Ashoka, brought the cutting from India to Sri Lanka. Its planting is commemorated in the Mahavamsa, an epic poem that tells the story of Sri Lanka. Found in the Mahamewuna Garden, the tree remains an object of veneration.

Junipers

Some of the oldest trees are junipers. The oldest is found in China’s Qinghai Province and is believed to be 2,230 years old. Another juniper, the Bennett Juniper, is found in California’s Sierra Nevada and is about 2,200 years old. There’s also CRE 175, a Rocky Mountain juniper that’s 1,889 years old. It lives in Northern New Mexico. The Miles juniper is a Sierra juniper that also lives in Sierra Nevada. It is likely 1,835 years old.

Jōmon Sugi

This tree lives on Japan’s Yakushima Island. It’s a Cryptomeria japonica tree, or a Sugi, the only species in the Cryptomeria genus. Though the Jōmon Sugi is officially listed as 1,812 years old, some believe it is much older than this. Some think the tree could be as old as 7,000 years, which is much older than any bristlecone pine. Its name, Jōmon, refers to a time in Japanese prehistory.

Sugi trees, also called Japanese redwoods or Japanese cedars, are endemic to Japan. These trees can live for a very long time, and the Jōmon Sugi tree is believed to be the oldest in a forest of ancient sugis. They can also grow very tall over their long lifespan. A sugi tree can grow to 230 feet with a 13-foot diameter, though the Jōmon is only 83 feet tall. Indeed, the sugi is probably Asia’s version of the giant sequoia.

Northern Whitecedars

Two northern whitecedars also make the list of the world’s oldest trees. Both live in Ontario, Canada. FL117 is about 1,687 years old, and FL101 is about 1,567 years old. Northern whitecedars are small compared to some of the other long-lived trees, and they only grow to about 49 feet on average. They thrive in wetlands and on cliffs. In fact, both of these Ontario whitecedars grow on cliff faces.

Subalpine Larch

There’s a subalpine arch in Alberta, Canada that’s believed to be 1,950 years old. Though it has no name, it is likely the oldest tree in the country. Subalpine larches are hardy trees that thrive in cold climates and poor soil. They are also deciduous conifers. This means they drop their needles in the fall similar to oaks and maples. The needles also turn a beautiful golden color before they fall.

Coast Redwood

A nameless coast redwood in Northern California is believed to be 2,200 years old. Coast redwoods are not only some of the oldest trees in the world, but they’re also some of the tallest. One of these trees was believed to have gained a height of 379 feet with a trunk that was 30 feet around.

The Oldest Trees Whose Ages Are Less Certain

The ages of a number of trees are less certain than those previously mentioned. The great ages of some of these trees may in fact be a little apocryphal. For example, The Sisters olive trees found in a grove in Lebanon supposedly supplied the olive branch to the dove that returned to Noah’s Ark after the Flood. They’re said to be 6,000 years old and are still producing olives. Another olive tree, the Oliveira do Mouchão of Portugal, is supposed to be around 3,350 years old.

The Fortingall Yew, found in Perthshire, Scotland is allegedly the oldest tree in Britain at around 5,000 years old. It is so old that it has become something like its own forest, with several stems the size of tree trunks. Legend has it that Pontius Pilate was born beneath this tree as a child, but this is probably not true.

You may be surprised to know that the exact age of the famous General Sherman, a giant sequoia found in California’s Sequoia National Park, is unknown. However, dendrologists think this huge tree is between 2,300 and 2,700 years old. Whatever it’s real age, it’s one of the tallest, widest, and oldest trees on earth.

Clonal Colonies

Some trees grow in clonal colonies, which means that all the trees share identical DNA. While the individual trees don’t live as long as the entire colony, some do live to be of great age. Members of Australia’s Antarctic Beech clone are about 2,000 years old. The colony itself is not older than 70 million years.

Pando is a famous clonal colony of quaking aspen that’s found in Fishlake National Forest in Utah. This colony is estimated to be between 14,000 and 80,000 years old! It covers 107 acres and weighs 6,720 tons.

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