Standing in Grace and Beauty

Europe

Sweden

Old Tjikko is a Norway spruce tree standing in the Fulufjallet National Park in Sweden. It is 9,550 years old making it the oldest single-stemmed clonal tree.

France

The Chene Chapelle is a 1200-year-old oak standing in Normandy. This oak has been dead for the last 500 years after it was struck by lightning and hollowed out. This oak has the honor of being the oldest known tree in France. It has been converted into two small chapels because of its wide hollow trunk. There is a spiral staircase giving access.

Sicily

The Hundred Horse Chestnut stands proudly on the eastern slope of Mount Etna in Sicily. It has the honor of being not only the largest but also the oldest, known chestnut tree in the world. The tree holds the Guinness World Record for Greatest Tree Girth Ever with a circumference of 190 feet. The tree was given its name from a legend in which the Queen of Aragon and her company of one hundred knights took refuge under the chestnut’s protective boughs during a thunderstorm,

Asia

Bahrain

The Tree of Life is a mesquite that stands in the middle of the Bahrain Desert. This tree has roots that reach as deep as 164 feet so it has no problems accessing water. It is thought to be over 400 years old. The Tree of Life has resin from which candles are made and from its beans jams are made.

Sri Lanka

Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is the oldest known sacred fig tree and stands in the sacred city of Anuradhapura. It has stood for the last 2,300 years. The tree comes with a spiritual legend. It is a sacred tree thought to have had contact with Buddha, who sat beneath it to achieve enlightenment. Jay Sri Maha Bodhi has been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage site.

Japan

Jomon Sugi is the largest conifer tree in Japan. The tree stands in a foggy, old-growth forest at an elevation of 4,200 feet on the north side of the tallest mountain on Yakushima Island. Visitors can take a hike to see the tree.

New Zealand

This kaikomako tree is located on Three Kings Island off the coast of New Zealand. It is known as the rarest in the world and has been standing since 1945. It was once part of a larger group of trees which unfortunately all were eaten by goats. This tree survived because it sits on top of a steep, rocky hill that cannot be accessed by the goats. Not to let this species die out other specimens have been planted in public gardens around New Zealand.

North America

The US

California

Named Methuselah a bristlecone pine in eastern California is thought to be the oldest tree in the world – 4789 years old. It is named after a Biblical character who is said to have lived to 969 years of age. Scientists say the germination date of this tree was around 2880 BC. The tree stands at 10,000 feet above sea level in the Inyo National Forest.

The Lone Cypress is one of the most well-known trees in North America. This particular tree stands alone on top of a granite hill overlooking Pebble Bay in California. The tree was planted in the mid-1700s.

You’ll find General Sherman in the Sequoia National Park and it is the largest by volume of any known living single-stem tree in the world, It is 2,300 – 2,700 years old and one of the longest of all trees on Earth.

South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina is home to the Angel Tree one of the oldest and largest oaks. This oak is 66 feet tall with a canopy that covers 17, 200 square feet. The branches of the tree are so well-developed and heavy that many of them sit on the ground in a state of rest.

Mexico

The El Arbol del Tule is the stoutest tree in the world, It has the widest trunk of any other tree, It stands in a churchyard in Oaxaca Mexico, and is featured as a UNESCO World Heritage site.