Sentinel Digital Desk
With a death-defying 4,842 years under its belt, this Great Basin bristlecone pine deserves its name. This is considered to be the oldest non-clonal organism (i.e., individual plant) on the planet.
Pando stands as a clonal colony originating from a solitary male Quaking Aspen situated in Utah. Every genetically identical tree, referred to as a "stem," remains interlinked through a sole root system. Encompassing an area exceeding 100 acres, Pando's age is estimated to surpass 80,000 years, and its combined weight exceeds 6,600 tons. This establishes it as Earth's most massive organism and positions it among the most ancient life forms.
Situated in Abarkooh, Iran, the "Cypress of Abarqu" stands as an age-old cypress tree. Referred to as the Zoroastrian Sarv, this majestic tree's origins date back to approximately 4,000 to 4,500 years ago, solidifying its status as the most ancient living entity in Asia.
In the northern reaches of Wales, a quaint village where Welsh is the spoken tongue becomes home to the Llangernyw Yew. This tree, the world's third-oldest non-clonal specimen, graces the grounds of St. Digain's parish church's graveyard. Amidst ancient stone crosses crafted in the era of the Dark Ages, this venerable yew has maintained its presence for nearly four millennia.
Ascending a seemingly unremarkable hill in southern California, you might inadvertently pass by a cluster of diminutive, twisted oak trees emerging from a stack of rocks. However, in that fleeting moment, you would have overlooked the presence of one of Earth's most ancient life forms: a collection of clonal Palmer's oaks, speculated to exceed 13,000 years in age.
One might not readily associate such a rugged tree with great age, but appearances can be misleading. Standing at a height of 16 feet, this Norway Spruce, nestled within the rugged terrain of Sweden's Fulufjället Mountains, boasts a remarkable age of 9,550 years!
Back in 1993, researchers stumbled upon a towering Patagonian Cypress reaching 150 feet in the Chilean Andes Mountains. Unlike the Llangernyw Yew and the Sarv-e Abarqu, the Alerce's age has been precisely determined at 3,637 years through the analysis of its tree-ring width. This distinction places it as the second oldest tree for which an exact age has been computed.
Situated within Florida's Big Tree Park, stands a Bald Cypress. This venerable tree's age is approximated to approach 3,500 years, and it once served as a notable marker for Seminole Indians and neighboring tribes. Moreover, it proudly claims the distinction of being the most voluminous tree east of the Mississippi River.