Methuselah (Great Basin Bristlecone Pine)

Methuselah (Great Basin Bristlecone Pine)

Tree, flora, oldest tree, organism

Rooted in the White Mountains of Inyo, California, Methuselah is a Great Basin Bristlecone pine currently determined to be the world’s oldest living, non-clonal tree by the Rocky Mountain Tree-Ring Research group. Estimated to be approximately 4856 years old through crossdating, Methuselah’s impressive age is attributed to the simultaneously harsh and preservative climate of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, where a lack of nutrients have slowed down the decaying process. Though some argument surrounds whether Methuselah is really the oldest living tree in existence, it is currently the most reliably dated of the world’s oldest non-clonal trees.

Methuselah is located within the "Methuselah Grove," named for the tree, within Inyo's Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. While its exact location is not shared publicly by the United States Forest Service due to fear of damage, its location is widely available on the internet after photographs of the tree were found in a National Geographic Article in 2021.

Methuselah was discovered, sampled and dated in 1957 by Edmund Schulman and Tom Harlan, given an estimated germination date of 2833 BC.

c. 2833 BC, age 4856–4857.

Under custodianship of the United States Forest Service.

Great Basin Bristlecone Pine tree, dimensions unknown.

Physical object, Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva), tree.

White Mountains, Inyo County, California, USA. 37°22′46″N 118°09′42″W.