Trees are perhaps the oldest beings on the planet, but the most surprising thing is that many of them have lived for long eons on this Earth. They are much more intelligent beings than is usually thought and have even known and communicate through
He who observes an inanimate being where there is a tree is making a serious mistake, because they keep the wisdom of the planet and an example of this is dendrology that studies what they have been the only observers of the changes that the Mother has experienced. Earth and have managed to survive more than one catastrophe.
With this in mind, it is easier to appreciate the great importance they have in the development of terrestrial biomes while being amazed by these oldest living trees on the entire planet.
The oldest trees on the planet
Great Grandfather
Scientific name Fitzroya cupressoides, larches are an imposing species of tree native to the Andes mountains. It is known that they are a very long-lived species although unfortunately they have not been able to be studied in depth, since many of them were cut down.
But in the middle of the Andean forests, as the community usually calls this tree. According to dendrologists, the old larch, which has a trunk four meters thick, has an estimated age of 5,484 years, making it the oldest living tree found so far.
Methuselah
This ancient bristlecone pine was the oldest known organism on Earth until 2013. According to researchers, the tree is 4,854 years old and has an estimated planting date of 2,833 BC. The old Methuselah, who is still alive, is It is located in eastern California, although its exact location is a secret from visitors, to safeguard the integrity of the tree being.
Sarv-e Abarqu
Also called ‘Zoroastrian Sarv’, it is a cypress that lives in the province of Yazd, Iran, which probably makes it the oldest being in all of Asia. The cypress lives near human settlements, is currently protected and is considered an Iraqi national monument thanks to its estimated age of 4,000 years.
Llangernyw Yew
Strangely, the Llangernyw yew lives in the middle of a cemetery, although it is carefully preserved. It is located in St. Dygain Church in the town of Llangernyw, north Wales, where it is believed to have been planted 4,000 years ago in the Bronze Age. The most amazing thing about this yew is that it continues to grow and has a leafy crown that shows its age.
Patriarch of Floresta
Cariniana legalis is the scientific name of the species commonly known as Patriarca de Floresta. These grow in the forests of Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela, although they have been victims of illegal logging, which is why not many specimens are preserved. Fortunately, dendrologists managed to find a specimen of Patriarca de Floresta that lives in Brazil and is estimated to be 2,000 years old.
The senator
Located in Longwood, Florida, the Senator was probably the one in all of America until 2012, when he suffered tragedy at the hands of a wildfire. It is a bald cypress considered the oldest of its species with an estimated age of 3,500 years.
Its measurements became very large, 38 meters high and 5.3 meters in diameter in its trunk thickness. Unfortunately, much of its mass ended up being charred by the forest fire started by a 26-year-old man. Clones of the great Senator are currently preserved and many think that he is still alive, since small shoots have begun to grow at its base.
Vouves olive tree
Olive trees are usually extremely resilient trees, as they can overcome events such as droughts, and even fire, this is the reason why on the Greek island of Crete there are at least seven olive trees that are estimated to have lived between 2 thousand and 3 thousand years, but among all of them, the Vouves Olive Tree is the oldest of all. Although its age cannot be determined exactly, it is believed to be more than 3,000 years old and the most surprising thing is that it still produces olives that are highly appreciated by the locals.
Jomon Sugi
Its natural habitat is located in Yakushima, Japan, an island declared a World Heritage Site by the since 1993, for its great wealth of biodiversity and precisely for being the home of the oldest sugi in the region. Sugi is the name given to Japanese cedars and among them Jomon Sugi stands out for being 2 thousand years old.
Hundred Horse Chestnut Tree
Of all the oldest trees, perhaps this is the wildest because it is located just 8 kilometers from the crater of Etna, the impetuous in Sicily, Italy. It is the largest and oldest chestnut tree known in this region, with an estimated age of between 2 thousand and 4 thousand years.
Its name arose thanks to a legend that says that a congregation of 100 knights was trapped under a strong electric shock and the large chestnut tree gave shelter to all of them.
General Sherman
The species of giant sequoias could not be excluded from the list of the oldest trees, which we know are powerful beings with great height and an impressive trunk. General Shermann is apparently the oldest of the sequoias with an estimated age of 2,500 years.
It has a height of 83 meters and a diameter of 7.7 meters and it is thanks to this that it is the largest tree that we have a record of and that is still alive in California.