How old are existing Great Basin Bristlecone Pine trees?

The Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus Longaeva) has been deemed the oldest tree in existence, reaching an age of over 5,000 years old.

The Bristlecone pines’ success in living a long life can be attributed to the harsh conditions it lives in. Very cold temperatures associated with high winds, in addition to a slow growth rate, create dense wood. This means some years they grow so slowly, they don’t add a ring of growth. Due to the slow growth and dense wood, the Bristlecone pine is resistant to insects, fungi, rot, and erosion. The lack of vegetation where they grow make Bristlecone pines rarely affected by wildfires.

Even the needles on these fascinating trees live up to 30 years long. This allows the trees to conserve energy by not having to reproduce new ones. It takes about two years for the Bristlecone pine cone to reach maturity, which is unique amongst trees in the conifer family. The Bristlecone pine gets its name from the cones whose scales appear to have a claw-like bristle.

These ancient trees have a gnarled and stunted appearance, especially those found at high altitudes, and have reddish-brown bark with deep fissures. As the tree ages, much of its vascular cambium layer may die. In very old specimens, often only a narrow strip of living tissue connects the roots to a handful of live branches.