This Tree Is 5,000 Years Old

The world’s oldest known living tree is over 5,000 years old and is located in California.

Nestled high in the White Mountains, this bristlecone pine tree, nicknamed “Methuselah,” has seen more history than any building, book, or battle.

That means it sprouted from a seed over 3,000 years before Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, or the Great Wall of China.

Bristlecone pines are survival experts. They grow in harsh, rocky soil where few other plants can live. Their slow growth and dense wood help them resist insects, disease, and even fire. In fact, many of them look half-dead, with twisted limbs and bare trunks, but their cores are still alive and thriving.

Scientists don’t reveal the exact location of Methuselah to protect it from vandalism or accidental harm. So even if you hike through the right forest, you’d walk right past it without knowing.