Methuselah (pine tree)

Methuselah
Forest of gnarled pine trees with sandy soil between them
The Methuselah Grove
Map
SpeciesGreat Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva)
LocationAncient Bristlecone Pine Forest, in the White Mountains, Inyo County, California
Coordinates37°22′46″N 118°09′42″W / 37.3794°N 118.1618°W / 37.3794; -118.1618
Date seededc. 2833 BC (age 4855–4856)
CustodianUnited States Forest Service

Methuselah is a 4,856-year-old[1] Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) tree growing high in the White Mountains of Inyo County in eastern California.[2][3] It is recognized as the non-clonal tree with the greatest confirmed age in the world.[4] Its old age is a result of harsh weather and a lack of nutrients, which slow down the decaying process.[5] The tree's name refers to the biblical patriarch Methuselah, who is said to have reached 969 years of age before his death, thus becoming synonymous with longevity or old age in many European languages including English.[6][7]

  1. ^ "Pinus longaeva". Gymnosperm Database. March 15, 2007. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved 2015-01-04.
  2. ^ "Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest". USFS. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  3. ^ "Ancient Bristlecone Pine Natural History". USFS. Archived from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  4. ^ "Rocky Mountain Tree-Ring Research OldList". Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  5. ^ "Methuselah, a Bristlecone Pine is Thought to be the Oldest Living Organism on Earth | USDA". www.usda.gov. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  6. ^ "as old as Methuselah". Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved 2017-11-12.
  7. ^ Molloy, J. (1911). "Methuselah". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2017-11-12.