What is the oldest tree in the world?

I admit it: the type of plant that fascinates me the most is the tree. Some species grow so fast that they flower from the first or second year of life, but there are others that start to do so much later, with 20, 30 ... or more years. But also, When you start to investigate its history, you realize that there is someone who has lived on Earth for thousands of years. Specifically, more than 4.847.

His name is Methuselah, like that of the biblical character who lived to be 969 years old, and is a copy of Pinus longaeva found in the Inyo National Forest in central California. Unfortunately, neither you nor I will ever be able to see it.

Humans can sometimes be very cruel, not only with animals (something that by the way would give to create a blog and talk at length on the subject), but with plants. From time to time someone appears who, we do not know if for fun or ignorance, or both, wants to destroy what a large part of the population admires.

Therefore, science does not want to reveal exactly where Methuselah isWell, he knows well that it would not take long to end up being a victim of the chainsaw, something that by the way happened to Prometheus, a tree that could do nothing with a man ... and his ax. Scientists calculated it 4.900 years.

However let's know more about him Pinus longaeva. As you can see in the photos, it has a very curious trunk. It is not the typical more or less straight and ready trunk that trees usually have. This is so because of the conditions to which it is subjected. And is that It lives more than 3000 meters above sea level, in an arid land where the winds are very cold (icy) and also blow with great force. 

However, its trunk grows stronger over the years, forming a thick layer of resin that serves as protection against fungi and parasites. But the growing season of this plant lasts very, very short; just about 2-3 months. During that time, it grows very slowly. However, it does not lose its leaves every year, so it is not very difficult for it to resume its growth after the long winter.

Has this topic been interesting to you?