Interesting Facts About the 5 Tallest and Oldest Trees in the World

There are many wonders in the world, including five of the oldest and tallest trees.

One of the most fascinating and varied groups of living things on the planet is trees. Humanity is still fascinated by topics like how trees last for generations and how they live through some of the harshest environments on the planet.

One Tree Planted provided a list of some excellent examples. Here are five of the world's tallest and oldest trees.

1. Methuselah Tree - Oldest in the World

As of 2023, Methuselah is a 4,854-year-old Great Basin bristlecone pine (pinus longaeva).

The biological adaptations Methuselah and other bristlecone pines have made to their hostile high-altitude environment in the desert regions of the Southeast United States are the reason they live such long lives.

Even if they lose 90% of their bark, they will still survive; their wood is incredibly dense and even full of resin, and they grow well in soil that many other trees struggle to grow in.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, Methuselah is tucked away in the Inyo National Forest, between the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California and the Nevada state line.

2. Cypress of Abarqu - Oldest in Asia

The "Cypress of Abarqu," also known as Sarv-e Abarkuh, is a 4,000, maybe 5,000-year-old cypress tree (Cupressus sempervirens) that is situated in Abarkuh. It is most likely Asia's oldest tree.

According to legend, the tree was planted by the ancient prophet Zoroaster while he was on one of his many journeys preaching.

3. Pando - Oldest Clonal Trees in the World

Pando is a clonal colony of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), that is also known as the "Trembling Giant". Pando is made up of numerous biologically identical trunks with a common root system rather than a single trunk with branches. It measures 108 acres, weighs 6,000,000 kilograms, and is probably 14,000 years old.

Climate change, however, poses a threat to Pando's long-term survival, as do drought, grazing, human development, and fire suppression.

4. The Hyperion - Tallest in the World

The tallest tree in the world is the Hyperion, a coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) located in Redwood National Park in California.

Before the Carter administration designated the area as a National Park, the 380-foot-tall Hyperion was just weeks away from being felled due to deforestation.

The tree was closed to the public in August 2022. NPR reports that visitors who attempt to view the Hyperion in-person run the risk of receiving a $5,000 fine in addition to six months in jail.

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5. The Menara - Tallest in Asia

With a height of 331 feet, the yellow meranti (Shorea faguetiana) is another of the biggest trees in the world. Sabah, on the island of Borneo, is home to the Menara, which gets its name from the Malay word for "tower." Menara's nearly perfect symmetry, which permits its trunk to grow straight up, contributes to part of its great height.

Due to overharvesting, the yellow meranti is in grave danger of extinction, but thanks to conservation efforts and the creation of the Danum Valley Conservation Area, these magnificent monoliths can continue to exist. According to One Tree Planted, some of the species that the tree protects include the vulnerable clouded leopard, threatened orangutan, and forest elephants.