Oldest Living Tree Named Methuselah

In California's remote and windswept White Mountains, a living organism has stood witness to nearly all of recorded human history. This ancient being, a Great Basin bristlecone pine named Methuselah, was already a sapling when builders were placing the final stones on the Great (Review) Pyramid of Giza. At over 4,850 years old, its gnarled, weathered appearance is a testament to its survival in an incredibly harsh, high-altitude environment where few other plants can thrive.

The secret to the bristlecone's longevity lies in its unforgiving habitat. The dry, cold, and windy conditions lead to extremely slow growth, creating wood that is incredibly dense and resinous. This makes the tree highly resistant to insects, rot, and fungi. This resilience is also why its exact location is a closely guarded secret. In 1964, a researcher studying tree rings tragically cut down a similar bristlecone named Prometheus (Review), only to discover it was then the oldest known tree at nearly 5,000 years old. To prevent a similar loss, the US Forest Service now protects Methuselah, and a potentially even older, unnamed neighbor, from human interference.