Nature is Imagination
The world’s oldest single living tree is a Bristlecone Pine Tree or Pinus Longaeva in California’s Invo National Forest and was 4,843 years old in 2012. The exact location of the tree and many other magical trees like these are well hidden secrets to protect them for many centuries to come.
Another tree that is a strong contender is a Fitzroya cupressoides in Chile dated at 3,622 years in 1993 and also known as the Alerce, Lahuán (from the Mapuche Native American) or the Patagonian Cypress. Alerces are important trees in the eco systems of the lush Valdivian temperate rain forests throughout Southern Patagonia and well-protected in parks like the Alerce Costero National Park in Chile or the Los Alerce National Park in Argentina.
It is a large evergreen tree, normally growing between 40 to 50 meters tall with a 5 meter diameter trunk. Much larger specimens existed, but was heavily logged for furniture in the 19th and 20th centuries. Charles Darwin reported finding a specimen of 12.6 meters in diameter during his 5 year journey on the HMS Beagle with Captain Robert FitzRoy.
The oldest clonal dated trees in the world or clones of parent trees are thespruces found in Sweden dated at 9,550 years in the Dalarna province. These trees are persistent survivors that have outlived drastic climate changes mainly due to their ability to push out trunks where others have died. Scientists have also found clusters of 20 spruces that are over 8,000 years old.
The magic of ancient trees
