24 of the Oldest Trees in the World

These trees have remained firmly rooted for centuries, in some cases millennia. The oldest among them were already growing as glaciers of the last ice age receded, while humans were learning how to plow fields and navigate the world around them. Many of these marvelous examples of living history are easily accessible, while others require a long hike if you want to witness them in person.

High atop Sweden’s Fulufajallet Mountain stands a scraggly Norway Spruce. Though it might not look like much, this little tree is part of a plant that is estimated to be 9,550 years old. It goes by the name of Old Tjikko, and it’s commonly regarded as the world’s oldest tree.

Over in Italy, an olive tree is estimated to be 3,800 years old stands 14 meters tall with a trunk that measures 20 meters in circumference. The Patriarca Verde, or “Green Patriarch,” is likely the oldest olive tree on the planet.

From a plane tree that survived the London Blitz to the “patriarch” of Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest, these are some of the oldest living trees in the world.