![]() The tree is an astounding 5,062 years old, as of 2012, and still living. The oldest Pinus longaeva was discovered growing in the White Mountains of eastern California. The ancient warped and twisted bristlecone pine trees draw huge number of photographers, painters and other artists. Rather than rot, exposed wood, on living and dead trees, erodes like stone due to wind, rain, and freezing, which creates unusual forms and shapes. While other species of trees that grow nearby suffer rot, bare bristlecone pines can endure, even after death, often still standing on their roots, for many centuries. The wood's extreme durability plays a big part in the tree’s longevity. ![]() Pinus longaeva’s wood is very dense and resinous, and thus resistant to invasion by insects, fungi, and other potential pests. ![]() Even the tree's needles, which grow in bunches of five, can remain green for forty years. Because of these extreme conditions, the trees grow very slowly, and in some years don't even add a ring of growth. The soil is dry receiving less than a foot of rainfall a year. At these great heights, the wind blows almost constantly and the temperatures can dip to well below zero. In fact, they are believed to be the some of oldest living organisms in the world, with lifespans in excess of 5,000 years.īristlecone pines grow just below the tree line, between 5,000 and 10,000 feet of elevation. These trees have a remarkable ability to survive in extremely harsh and challenging environment. ![]() Bristlecone pines grow in isolated groves in the arid mountain regions of six western states of America, but the oldest are found in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of California. The Great Basin Bristlecone Pines, or Pinus longaeva, is a long-living species of tree found in the higher mountains of the southwest United States. ![]()
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