The Oldest Tree in the World

The oldest individual clonal tree in the world is believed to be 9,550 years old (carbon-dated)! This Norway Spruce is located on the Fulufjället Mountain of Dalarna province in Sweden and was discovered by a professor of Physical Geography, Leif Kullman. The tree has been nicknamed "Old Tjikko" after his dog.

At first sight, this 5 meter (16 feet) tall tree might not strike you as the oldest known living organism, but don't let its size fool you! Over thousands of years this fella has successfully adapted to every climate change that has effected the area in which it resides.

It's believed that the reason why this tree has survived for so long is due to two processes: vegetative cloning and layering. During vegetative cloning, the tree trunk can die every few hundred years (~600 in this case), but the root system can live on for thousands of years. Layering occurs when one of the branches touches the ground and eventually "turns into a root".

Scientists have also located several other trees in the area, all dating to be 8,000+ years old – truly stunning!

The Oldest Non-Clonal Tree in the World: Methuselah (4,845 Years Old)

Methuselah is a type of pine tree growing high in the White Mountains of Inyo County in eastern California. It got its name after one of the longest-living characters in the Bible, who lived to be almost 1,000 years old.

Unlike the Tjikko that has survived by "cloning" itself, the Methuselah is believed to be the oldest living non-clonal tree/organism. It has been dendrochronologically tested (counting tree rings) and as of 2012 the tree is 4,845 years old!