Tree of the Year 2024

It’s time to announce ArborNote’s Tree of the Year! Thank you to everyone who participated! Our followers have chosen Methuselah, which is a Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva). Methuselah lives high (between 9,500 and 9,800 ft) in the White Mountains of Inyo County in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest eastern California, but its exact location is kept a secret to try and preserve this old giant (although its location has been leaked on the internet, the U.S. Forestry Service does not advertise its location). It is recognized as the non-clonal tree with the greatest confirmed age in the world. Its old age is a result of harsh weather and a lack of nutrients, which slow down the decaying process. There is some controversy around the tree’s exact age, but the most recent scientific estimate is approximately 4,667 years old! The tree’s name refers to the biblical patriarch Methuselah, who is said to have reached 969 years of age before his death. How does a tree survive for so long? The trees’ ability to thrive in an unforgiving landscape of freezing temperatures, arid soils and relentless winds is the key to their remarkable longevity. They draw sustenance from the most brittle layers of limestone and carbonate rock — what passes for fertile soil at high elevations. And their gnarled, twisted branches, which are shaped by fast-moving currents of mountain air, provide stability and reduce the risk of breakage during storms. Uniquely, the trees’ roots provide nourishment only to the specific section of branches directly above it. This ensures that if a root dies off due to exposure, only the corresponding segment of the tree is affected, allowing the rest to continue growing. All of this has allowed it to be considered the oldest living thing on Earth!