How old is the oldest Welwitschia?

Carbon dating tells us that on average, welwitschias are 500-600 years old, although some of the larger specimens are thought to be 2000 years old. Their estimated lifespan is 400 to 1500 years. Growth occurs annually during the summer months. The sexes are separate, i.e. there are male plants and female plants.

Welwitschia mirabilis The 2,000-year-old welwitschia plant found in the Namib-Naukluft desert is an unlikely-looking conifer that produces only two leaves in its lifetime – the longest in the plant kingdom. What is interesting about Welwitschia?

Welwitschia leaves are the longest-lived in the plant kingdom, they are evergreen, a single pair, and generally broad and flat. The broadest unbroken leaf measures 179 cm. This particular leaf was 6 meters long of which 3.15 meters were living tissue.