Top 10 Oldest Trees in the World

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The oldest tree on Earth ever was, as we know so far, Prometheus, which was cut in 1964. The story of that tree is tragic, and yet, ironic: The irony is that scientists had looked for a record breaking tree with no result, in the Great Basin National Park of Nevada for years, when a graduate student requested the permission to cut one of the trees. Permission was granted and after cutting the tree, the student (Donald Currey) discovered that it was actually older than the oldest living organism on Earth. Prometheus, a bristlecone pine, was at least 4862 years, if not even more, when it was so foolishly cut. The oldest still living trees in the world are listed below:

1. Methuselah

The oldest tree on Earth is a Bristle-cone pine meaningfully called “Methuselah”. It is 4,800 years old and it stands proudly in Methuselah alley, Nevada. Methuselah was not the oldest tree in the area, as Prometheus was the record holder up to 1964, when it was cut, as  narrated above. Methuselah’s actual location is hidden in order to protect it from vandalism acts. Hopefully, no researcher will cut this one down as well!

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2. Sarv-e-Abarkooh

Very highly regarded in its native land, Sarv-e-Abarkooh is an impressive 4,000 years old cypress. This tree may be found in Abarkooh, in Iran. It is very important for the Iranian people, and besides its symbolic and spiritual significations, Sarv-e-Abarkooh is also a famous touristic attraction.

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3. Llangernyw Yew

Even though Yew trees are long living trees, no other exemplar of the species ever touched the venerable age of 4,000 years. Even though no one knows for sure exactly how old this tree is, scientists believe that it may even be older, thus changing places with the Iranian cypress mentioned above. Located in Wales, United Kingdom, the Yew tree is object to local legends and superstitions.

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4. Alerce

One of the oldest tree species that are still thriving today is the Patagonian Cypress: fossilized parts of this plant were believed to be 35 million years old. Today, the oldest Patagonian cypress, or Alerce, has counted 3,500 years of existence. This huge tree measures between 40 and 70 meters, but much larger specimens existed in the past.

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5. The Senator

Happily living in Florida, USA is the Senator, a pond cypress, the oldest tree of his species. Its estimated age is of 3,400-3,500 years and it stands 35 meters tall; the original height of the tree was of 50 meters but a hurricane destroyed its top.  No storm could ever put down the Senator though!  Having been present to many historic events and having carried different significations both for native Indians and for the colonists, this tree will live to observe many other generations on Earth.

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6. The Patriarch

What a wonderful name for a tree which truly deserves it! The Patriarca da Foresta is a 3,000 years old deciduous tree in Brazil. The Patriarch of the forest is rising in the Atlantic Forest, as one of the tallest trees there, and certainly, the oldest.

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7. Alyshun

The Formosan Cypress is known as a slow growing tree. Yet, it may reach 60 meters in height once it is fully grown. It is also famous for being able to reach respectable ages, and the oldest of the species, called the “Alishan Sacred Tree” , which fell in 1997, as a consequence of serious  rainstorms, was believed to be 3,000 years old. It had an important meaning for the Buddhist in its area and thus, they were the most affected by its loss.

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8. Old Chestnut

Also known as “The tree of 100 horses” the oldest chestnut in the world may be found in San D’Alfio, Sicily. Even though its age is not known with accuracy, it is no less than 2,000 years old, though it may actually be as old as 4,000.