Pinpointing a tree’s age is not easy because counting the annual growth rings can damage or even kill it. One tree has held the prestigious title of the world's oldest tree for years, but is there a new old kid on the block?
What's the oldest tree in the world?
In 1964 a bristlecone pine, known as Prometheus, was felled in Wheeler Peak in Nevada for research purposes and found to be at least 4,862 years old. When it germinated, Stonehenge had not been built.
Methuselah - still the oldest tree in the world?
For some years Methuselah, a bristlecone pine tree located in the White Mountains of California, has been considered one of the oldest known individual trees in the world. However, the exact age of Methuselah has been a subject of some debate, and it is difficult to determine the absolute oldest tree definitively due to the challenges of accurately dating ancient trees.
However, Methuselah's age has been estimated to be around 4,800 to 5,000 years old. It was given the name of the biblical patriarch Methuselah, who allegedly lived more than 900 years.
Where is the oldest tree in the world?
Methuselah is located in the White Mountains of eastern California, within the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, which is part of the Inyo National Forest.
Secret location
The exact location of Methuselah and other ancient bristlecone pine trees in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest has been deliberately kept hidden to protect these trees from potential harm, such as vandalism or over-visitation. While the general area is accessible to the public, specific details about the location of individual trees, including Methuselah, are kept secret.
A new record-breaking tree?
While other bristlecone pines are thought to exceed 5,000 years of age, it might yet turn out that a Patagonian cypress is even older.
In 2022, Chilean environmental scientist Jonathan Barichivich, estimated that a Patagonian cypress growing in the Alecre Costero National Park, is 4,853 years old - 500 years older than Methuselah.
The jury is still out on this claim because Barichivich based his calculations on statistical modelling techniques as opposed to the established method of boring into the core of the tree to extract a sample.
The tree is known as Alerce Milenario or Gran Abuelo, the 'great-grandfather' tree, and only time will tell if it's a record-breaker.
Find out more
Read our expert guides to discover the world's tallest tree?, the world's most poisonous tree and British trees in folklore.