The Oldest Known Trees In The World
Trees are some of the most ubiquitous organisms on the planet. Over time, they have evolved on every continent with thousands of species still living everywhere, but some are much older than you might think. The average tree lives about 50 years, but some of the oldest known trees are far older than that.
Many of the oldest trees in the world live in austere conditions in locations no human would ever want to go, which is one of the reasons they're still alive. Without being cut down by human hands, some trees have lived for thousands of years, making trees not only the oldest organisms on the planet but some that lived through much of humanity's most important historical periods.
- Photo: Karl Brodowsky / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0
Old Tjikko, A 9,560-Year-Old Norway Spruce
Old Tjikko was long considered to be the world's oldest living tree, but due to it being a clonal tree, that designation is inaccurate. A clonal tree is one that regenerates new trunks, branches, and roots. To put it simply, it continues to regenerate from itself over millennia. Because of its status as a clonal tree, its age was determined via carbon dating of genetically matched material found under the tree.
Location: Fulufjället Mountain, Dalarna province, Sweden
Status: Alive - Photo: Yiyo Zamorano / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA 4.0
Alerce Milenario/Gran Abuelo, A 5,484-Year-Old Alerce In Chile
In 2022, scientists in Chile announced they might have identified a new candidate for oldest living tree: an alerce (a type of conifer), dubbed the Alerce Milenario or Gran Abuelo (great-grandfather), in Chile's Alerce Costero National Park. Researchers used statistical computer modeling as well as traditional methods to determine the tree's age, which they estimated at 5,484 years. According to Science, because the researchers didn't take a full sample of rings from the tree, other tree experts might be skeptical of the findings.
Location: Alerce Costero National Park, Chile
Status: Alive - Photo: Jim Morefield / Flickr / CC-BY-SA 2.0
An Unnamed 5,068-Year-Old Great Basin Bristlecone Pine
One of the oldest living trees is also one of the oldest living organisms on the planet. It hasn't been given a name. It took root in 3050 BCE, nearly 500 years before the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. The Roman Civilization wouldn't rise for another 2,200 years. This tree saw the birth and death of Jesus, the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, and most of recorded history.
Location: White Mountains, California, USA
Status: Alive - Photo: Oke / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Methuselah, A 4,850-Year-Old Great Basin Bristlecone Pine
This aptly named Great Bristletcone Pine was found to be 4,850 years old. Until 2012, it was the oldest known living tree in the world, having been cored in 1957 with 4,789 rings. The tree was germinated in 2832 BCE, making it one of the oldest organisms on the planet.
Location: White Mountains, California, USA
Status: Alive - Photo: James R Bouldin / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Prometheus, A 4,844-Year-Old Great Basin Bristlecone Pine
Prometheus was a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine tree that might have been as old as 5,000 years when it was cut down in 1964. Prometheus was felled by a graduate student working alongside the United States Forest Service for research purposes. It isn't known why Donald Currey cut down the tree instead of simply coring it, but he did and the oldest known tree (at the time) was killed and used for additional studies.
Location: Wheeler Peak, Nevada, USA
Status: Dead. Cut down by Donald Rusk Currey in 1964 - Photo: TruthBeethoven / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Sarv-e Abarkuh, A 4,500-Year-Old Mediterranean Cypress
Sarv-e Abarkuh, the Cypress of Abarkuh, is a Mediterranean Cypress tree located in Iran. It has been designated a National Natural Monument by the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran and is a popular tourist site. The age of the tree has been estimated between 4,000 and 5,000 years, though it has not been cored. The tree has been a part of Iranian culture for so long, it has its own fairytale suggesting it was planted by Zoroaster.
Location: Abarkuh, Yazd, Iran
Status: Alive - Photo: Emgaol / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Llangernyw Yew, A 4-5,000-Year-Old Common Yew
The Llangernyw Yew is a male Yew tree that was designated one of the Fifty Great British Trees by Queen Elizabeth during her Golden Jubilee. The tree sits in the churchyard of St. Digain's Church in the village where it is believed to have been growing for between 4,000 and 5,000 years. Yew trees are difficult to date and the core has been lost, but it was designated by the Yew Tree Campaign in 2002 as being somewhere within that date range. The The Llangernyw Yew is believed to be the oldest Yew tree in the world as well as the oldest living thing in all of Britain.
Location: Llangernyw, Conwy, Wales, UK
Status: Alive - Photo: Ydigresse / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
An Unnamed 4,112-Year-Old Yew
The oldest known Yew Tree in Turkey was found in Zonguldak province in 2012. The tree is 4,112-years-old and is considered to be one of the five oldest trees alive in the world. Studies of the tree's rings furthered study of Yews to lead researchers to the conclusion that a Yew Tree left unmolested by humans can live up to 4,000 years in its natural environment.
Location: Zonguldak, turkey
Status: Alive Gran Abuelo, A 3,647-Year-Old Patagonian Cypress
The oldest living tree in all of South America was scientifically named by a traveling naturalist known as Charles Darwin in honor of the captain of his ship. Gran Abuelo stands in Chile where it is listed as endangered. It stands 196 feet (60 m) tall and has a diameter of 13 feet (4 m).
Location: Cordillera Pelada, Los Ríos, Chile
Status: Alive- Photo: Anthony Scotti / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
The Senator, A 3,500-Year-Old Bald Cypress
Before it was destroyed in a fire in 2012, The Senator was the biggest and oldest Bald Cypress Tree in the world. When it was alive, it stood 125 feet (38 m) tall and had a trunk diameter of 17.5 feet (5.3 m). The Senator was initially believed to have succumbed to a lightning strike, but further investigation found that it was the victim of arson committed by Sara Barnes who was convicted and jailed for 30 months.
Location: Longwood, Florida, USA
Status: Destroyed by fire on January 16, 2012 - Photo: Michel Henrotay / YouTube
Oliveira do Mouchão, A 3,350-Year-Old European Olive Tree
Not only is Oliveira do Mouchão the oldest tree in Portugal at an estimated 3,350-years-old, it still continues to produce olives. European Olive Trees that are over 2,000 years-old aren't uncommon in Portugal, but few reach the age of Oliveira do Mouchão, and even fewer are able to produce olives anywhere near that age.
Location: Mouriscas, Abrantes, Portugal
Status: Alive - Photo: Mike Murphy / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
D-21, A 3,266-Year-Old Giant Sequoia
D-21 was never given a proper name as it was first discovered deceased. When the tree was analyzed, it was determined to be more than 3,200 years old. All indications were that the tree died naturally and wasn't felled by humans or any other unnatural means.
Location: Sierra Nevada, California, USA
Status: Dead - Photo: Aronlevin / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
D-23, A 3,220-Year-Old Giant Sequoia
D-23 was one of four ancient Giant Sequoia trees found in Sierra Nevada, California that died of natural causes. When it was found, it was already dead, which enabled an accurate measurement of its age. When it died, it was 3,220 years old and one of the oldest Giant Sequoias ever located.
Location: Sierra Nevada, California, USA
Status: Dead - Photo: Bradluke22 / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
The President, A 3,200-Year-Old Giant Sequoia
The President stands 247 feet tall in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park in California. It's diameter is 27 feet (8.2 m) and it is believed to be around 3,200 years old. It is not the tallest or widest Giant Sequoia, rather, it is the second-largest tree in the world and oldest of its species. It was named in honor of U.S. President Warren G. Harding in 1923.
Location: Sierra Nevada, California, USA
Status: Alive - Photo: MediaJet / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0
Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, A 2,302-Year-Old Sacred Fig
Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Sri Lanka is believed to be the southern branch from the Sri Maha Bodhi, which is the location where Lord Buddha attained Enlightenment. The tree was planted in 288 BCE, which makes it the oldest living tree planted by human hands. It is considered to be one of the most sacred relics in Buddhism. In 2014, the Government decreed that no construction would be allowed within 500 meters of the tree.
Location: Mahamewna Gardens, Anurahapura, Sri Lanka
Status: Alive
