(#4) Prometheus, a 4,844-year-old Great Basin Bristlecone Pine
- Pinus longaeva
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(#10) Oliveira do Mouchão, a 3,350-year-old European Olive Tree
- Olea europea L. var. europaea
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(#5) Sarv-e Abarkuh, a 4,500-year-old Mediterranean Cypress
- Cupressus sempervirens
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(#9) The Senator, a 3,500-year-old Bald Cypress
- Taxodium ascendens
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(#14) Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, a 2,302-year-old Sacred Fig
- Ficus religiosa
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(#1) Old Tjikko, a 9,560-year-old Norway Spruce
- Picea abies
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
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About This Tool
Everyone is very familiar with trees, we can see many types of trees in our daily life. The leaves of trees can absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Trees have played an important role in the development of human civilization, these precious and tenacious plants have been providing fuel and purifying the air. Trees are helpful to slow down the greenhouse effect and prevent desertification.
Trees not only have multiple functions, but they also have a very long life. Here we can learn about the 14 oldest trees in the world with the random tool, the oldest has lived on the earth since the Ice Age.
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