How Old Is the Oldest Known Tree on Earth?

💡 The Answer

• The oldest known individual tree is a Great Basin bristlecone pine named Methuselah
• Methuselah is over 4855 years old and grows in California White Mountains
• Its exact location is kept secret by the US Forest Service to protect it
• Another bristlecone pine was confirmed at over 5000 years old in 2012 but remains unnamed
• The oldest known clonal tree colony is Pando, a quaking aspen in Utah estimated at 80000 years old
• Pando is technically one organism connected by a single root system
• These ancient trees survived because they grow in harsh isolated environments with few competitors