Clonal Trees
As with all long-lived plant and fungal species, no individual part of a clonal colony is alive (in the sense of active metabolism) for more than a very small fraction of the life of the entire clone. Some clonal colonies may be fully connected via their root systems, while most are not actually interconnected, but are genetically identical clones which populated an area through vegetative reproduction. Ages for clonal colonies, often based on current growth rates, are estimates.
| Name | Age (years) | Species | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pando | 80,000–1,000,000 | Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides |
Fishlake National Forest, Utah, United States | Covers 107 acres (0.43 km2) and has around 47,000 stems (average age 130 years), which continually die and are renewed by its roots. Is also the heaviest known organism, weighing 6,000 tonnes. |
| Jurupa Oak | 13,000 | Palmer oak Quercus palmeri |
Jurupa Mountains, California, United States | Quercus palmeri Engelm. = Quercus dunnii Kellogg. |
| Old Tjikko | 9,550 | Norway spruce Picea abies |
Fulufjället National Park, Dalarna, Sweden | The tree's stems live no more than 600 years, but its root system's age was established using carbon dating and genetic matching. Elsewhere in the Fulu mountains, 20 spruces have been found older than 8,000 years. |
| Old Rasmus | 9,500 | Norway spruce Picea abies |
Härjedalen, Sweden | |
| ? | 3,000–10,000 | Huon Pine Lagarostrobos franklinii |
Mount Read, Tasmania, Australia | Several genetically identical males that have reproduced vegetatively. Although single trees in this stand may be around 3 to 4 thousand years old, the stand itself as a single organism has existed for 10,000 years. |
Read more about this topic: List Of Oldest Trees
Famous quotes containing the word trees:
“I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. As a lily among brambles, so is my love among maidens. As an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.”
—Bible: Hebrew, Song of Solomon 2:1-3.