Stacy Conradt
The Quick 10: 10 Famous Trees
by Stacy Conradt - August 4, 2009 - 3:57 PM

q10

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the day the world lost one of its oldest living organisms. But don’t pine for it – the death of Prometheus allowed scientists to branch out into new territory, to grow to new heights, and to turn over a new leaf.

OK, OK, that was weak, even by my standards. But the fact of the matter is, on August 6, 1964, a graduate student and the U.S. Forest Service cut down a tree thought to have been at least 5,000 years old. It’s now kind of a celebrity conifer, if you can imagine such a thing – it has the star status Brangelina of trees with the age of Abe Vigoda. But believe it or not, there is enough illustrious timber out there to create a whole forest – here are 10 rather wondrous pieces of wood.

PROMETHEUS1. Prometheus is the poor tree who was cut down before his time 45 years ago (that’s his stump to the left). Donald R. Currey, a grad student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was studying the climate during the Little Ice Age by tree-ring dating (AKA dendrochronology). He had been studying trees on Wheeler Peak in Nevada when he came across Prometheus. Although he was able to used a corer to take samples from some of the older trees in the area, Prometheus resisted – Currey broke at least two corers trying to obtain a sample. So he asked the U.S. Forest Service’s permission to cut it down for scientific purposes, and they agreed. It was only after the tree was cut that its age was discovered – at least 4,862 years old with a great possibility of it being more than 5,000 years old. A couple of years later, when word got out that Prometheus had been cut down, a lot of people were outraged that the Forest Service treated such an old tree so cavalierly. Others argued that cutting it down gave scientists wonderful research that resulted in the protection of other similar trees in the area. Either way, the ruckus caused by Prometheus’ felling resulted in a witness protection program of sorts for other old trees…

2. …such as Methuselah. Methuselah is now thought to be the world’s oldest, non-clonal organism and, at the current age of 4,841 years old, is just a hair younger than ol’ Prometheus. It resides somewhere in the White Mountains of California in the Inyo National Forest, but thanks to the Prometheus controversy, its exact location isn’t known to many people. I mean, you can probably find it if you really wanted to, but the U.S. Forest Service is certainly making it a point to keep Methuselah’s exact coordinates as quiet as possible.

tenere3. Like Prometheus, Tree of Ténéré met its end a few decades ago. But before then, it was known as the most isolated tree on Earth. The lone acacia tree was a landmark in the Ténéré region of the Sahara desert; no other tree existed for more than 120 miles. A whole group of trees used to grow in the same location but by the 1930s, the Tree of Ténéré was the lone survivor. It was knocked down in 1973, supposedly by a drunk truck driver. It was immediately taken to a museum and a metal sculpture was erected in its place. You can see a nice photographic timeline of the Tree of Ténéré here.

4. Similarly, the 400-plus-year-old Tree of Life in Bahrain sits in the middle of the desert, with no known water supply whatsoever. It’s about 1.2 miles away from the Mountain of Smoke, the highest point in Bahrain. This is not to be confused with the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, which is 145 feet tall and not actually a tree (it’s fake, all fake).

5. It’s also not to be confused with El Árbol del Tule, Mexico’s Tree of Life. This cypress is huge, with a trunk of more than 118 feet in circumference. It’s so mammoth that people originally thought it was several trees that had somehow grown into one giant growth over the years, but tests have proven that the tree is, in fact, a single being. Estimates think the tree has had about 3,000 birthdays or so, but one claim places the tree at an age older than Methuselah – 6,000 years old. The Zapotecs tell the story that Pechocha, a priest of the Aztec storm god, planted the tree 1,400 years ago.

SONOFTREE6. and 7. Tree That Owns Itself and Son of Tree That Owns Itself. As a purveyor of weirdo roadside attractions (RoadsideAmerica.com is fabulous), I had an eye on this particular tree when I roadtripped to Florida in April. It didn’t end up making the list of places I was allowed to stop at (my traveling companions limited me, otherwise it would have taken us a week to drive down there), so I’m glad I get to learn the story now. It goes like this: sometime between 1820 and 1832, a man who cherished the memories this tree gave him throughout his lifetime decided that he wanted to protect it from anything that might harm it in the future. So, naturally, he gave it ownership of itself – AND of an eight-foot circumference all around it. A local newspaper ran the deed in 1890:

I, W. H. Jackson, of the county of Clarke, of the one part, and the oak tree . . . of the county of Clarke, of the other part: Witnesseth, That the said W. H. Jackson for and in consideration of the great affection which he bears said tree, and his great desire to see it protected has conveyed, and by these presents do convey unto the said oak tree entire possession of itself and of all land within eight feet of it on all sides.

Sadly, the Tree That Owns Itself collapsed, a victim of root rot, in 1942. A bunch of acorns were taken from the tree and planted as seedlings, and a few years later, the best one was chosen to replace the Tree That Owns Itself. Today, you can see Son of Tree That Owns Itself planted proudly in the same spot his father stood more than 60 years ago.

8. Caesarsboom, a European Yew, is so-named because it’s so old that legend has it that Caesar once hitched his horse up to it and then took a nap in its shade. It grows in Lo, a town in Belgium, and although it’s a pretty cool story, it probably doesn’t have much truth to it – there’s no real evidence that Caesar ever passed through the area.

9. The Glastonbury Thorn was a very important Hawthorn on the grounds of Glastonbury Abbey that was purported to be planted by Joseph of Arimathea himself. It flowered twice a year, which was considered to be quite miraculous at the time. The original Thorn was cut down during the English Civil War, but many cuttings had been taken of it as part of a money-making scheme – pieces were sold to people who jumped at the chance to have their own “sacred tree.” One of these cuttings was replanted and stood until 1992, when the tree, pronounced dead in 1991, was finally removed. Up until that point, it had been tradition to send the Sovereign a spray (“Holy Thorn,” it was called) from the Glastonbury Thorn every Christmas, starting back during the reign of James I. That tradition still continues, but the spray is now sent from trees that grew from some of the oldest cuttings.
Even though it’s gone, the legend of the original Thorn is still around – in 1965, Queen Elizabeth II donated a wooden cross with the inscription, ““The cross, the symbol of our faith, the gift of Queen Elizabeth II, marks a Christian sanctuary so ancient that only legend can record its origin.”

jaya10. The Sri Maha Bodhi tree, a Sacred Fig, is supposed to be the very spot where Gautama Buddha, the Supreme Buddha, found enlightenment. After he found enlightenment, Gautama Buddha stood for a week in front of the tree, staring at it with gratitude. Like the Glastonbury Thorn, lots of trees have been propagated from the original Bodhi tree, and several of them are now the center of worship themselves. The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, was planted from the Sri Maha Bodhi in 288 B.C., and is the oldest-living human-planted tree in existence.

Do you have a famous tree in your area? We had one in Iowa – it’s what gave the town of Lone Tree its name. It was the only tree located between the Iowa and Cedar rivers and pioneers used it as a landmark. It died in the 1960s, sadly, but the town name is still around to remind us of what once was.

I’m on Twitter, if you care!

« Previous Post   -   Next Post »
Click here to get a Risk-Free issue of mental_floss magazine
Comments (53)

  1. There is a Live Oak in Thomasville Georgia. It is so big that it has braces to hold it’s branches off of the ground. When I was a little girl it spanned a whole city block. I imagine that it is alot larger than what it was then.

    posted by QuincyK on 8-4-2009 at 4:18 pm

  2. What about General Sherman which was considered the tallest tree in the world?

    posted by Brian Vuinovic on 8-4-2009 at 4:25 pm

  3. This would maybe make the top 100 of a list like this, but I’m a golfer so I nominate The Eisenhower Tree on Augusta National….

    Located at hole No. 17, the Eisenhower Tree is approximately 210 yards from the Masters tee and left-center of the fairway. The loblolly pine is approximately 65 feet high and about 100 to 125 years old. The former President of the US and Club member hit into the tree so often he campaigned to have it removed. At a Club’s governors meeting in 1956, Eisenhower proposed cutting the tree down. Clifford Roberts promptly ruled him out of order and adjourned the meeting. The pine has been linked to Eisenhower since then.

    posted by TXCherokee on 8-4-2009 at 4:27 pm

  4. In St. Augustine, there is a kissing tree where if you kiss under it, you will be with that person for the rest of your life. Or so goes the myth.

    posted by Meg on 8-4-2009 at 4:28 pm

  5. There was a tree i distinctly remember when i took a trip through California. In the Redwood Forest, there was a tree you could drive your vehicle through. The car-sized hole unfortunately, was manmade, but the tree is still alive and strong (probably because of the CO and CO2 emitted in the area lol). Here is a pic of the exact tree.

    (oh yeah, found your new twitter!)

    posted by Steven on 8-4-2009 at 4:28 pm

  6. OH, and the Pebble Beach tree

    posted by Steven on 8-4-2009 at 4:29 pm

  7. We have a huge cottonwood tree near Delta, Colorado. It is called the Ute Council Tree and was the point of meetings between the Northern Utes and the Western Utes in western Colorado. Traders later attended these councils. From my understanding the tree is several hundred years old. The Utes and other tribes still come together in the area anually.

    posted by Hummer on 8-4-2009 at 4:42 pm

  8. Steven: The tree you are referencing, the one in Sequoia Nat’l Park – California, fell over about 15 years ago in a bad storm. I don’t believe there is any other redwood that you could drive through. This was the famous one.

    posted by Hummer on 8-4-2009 at 4:46 pm

  9. This was the first one that came to mind for me,

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Frank_tree

    posted by Paul on 8-4-2009 at 4:51 pm

  10. They recently cut down three ancient Silver Maples in Watertown, MA (my hometown). These trees used to be painted by the graduating seniors with Class (left tree) Of (middle tree) and Year (right tree) every single year. But apparently they were so rotted and damaged that the center tree was completely hollow, including all of the branches. It was unbelievable and the elementary school where they stood and defined the playground boundaries just isn’t the same anymore.

    posted by Amy on 8-4-2009 at 4:59 pm

  11. There’s a cool 300-year-old pine in the Hama Rikyu Garden in Tokyo. It’s shored up with a bunch of supports under its branches.

    http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hama-Rikyu_300-year-old_pine.jpg

    posted by Seth on 8-4-2009 at 5:02 pm

  12. I grew up on Maui, Hawaii, and there is a banyan tree located in Banyan Tree Park (naturally) in Lahaina. It was planted in 1873, covers 2/3 of an acre and is one of the largest banyan trees in the world. It’s such an everyday part of life in Lahaina and many significant events have taken place under it’s branches. I remember playing under tree and enjoying the shade it provided from the mid-day sun.

    posted by EL on 8-4-2009 at 5:08 pm

  13. The Bedford Oak in Bedford NY is 500 years old. In the 70′s a developer bought 30 acres surrounding it, but people were so upset they raised money to buy the 2 acres surrounding the tree. The tree now has its own trust and is cared for by the historical society.

    http://www.bedfordhistoricalsociety.org/oak.html

    posted by melly on 8-4-2009 at 5:11 pm

  14. The oldest cottenwood tree in the US is the Balmville Tree. See link below.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balmville_Tree

    posted by Owen on 8-4-2009 at 5:16 pm

  15. Hummer

    I definitely remember, in 2004, driving THROUGH a tree.

    posted by Steven on 8-4-2009 at 5:17 pm

  16. Hummer

    oh yeah, and in the pic, there is a ford focus in that tree.

    posted by Steven on 8-4-2009 at 5:19 pm

  17. I remember when i visited Austin, TX a few years back there was a huge live oak called “The treaty oak” that some famous treaty had been signed under – - the tree took up almost a whole city block and was magnificent. when i was back in the area a few years later some nut devil-worshipper had poured gallons of herbicide around the roots and the city authoriteis were desperately trying to save it. Does anyone know if they did? That was an amazing tree…

    posted by Andrew on 8-4-2009 at 5:23 pm

  18. steven,
    duh…guess there is more than one…don’t get all righteous about it.

    posted by Hummer on 8-4-2009 at 5:44 pm

  19. I thought about the Charter Oak in Connecticut. I checked, it fell down in a storm in the 1800s, but it adorns the CT state quarter. Called the Charter Oak because CT’s colonial charter was hidden in the oak in order to safeguard it and maintain the colony

    posted by Jonny on 8-4-2009 at 5:44 pm

  20. How about the 1/4 million dollar dead tree in Vancouver. This from the Jan. 19 Vancouver Sun:

    The Vancouver Park Board voted to accept a new proposal Monday night to save the so-called Hollow Tree, a long-standing tourist attraction in Stanley Park.

    The massive dead tree stump has been held up by a growing mass of metal braces and cables after it suffered serious damage from a powerful windstorm in December 2006.

    The storm left the tree tilting precariously and park officials voted twice to cut it down for safety reasons, but then had a change of heart after those plans provoked a public outcry to save the tree.

    An engineering firm examined other options and park staff recently recommended the commissioners approve a new plan to realign and stabilize the tree.

    Lorne Whitehead, a board member of the Hollow Tree Conservation Society, which led the effort to save the tree, said the estimated $250,000 cost of straightening and stabilizing the stump will be funded entirely by private donations and donated work in kind.

    posted by Jergig on 8-4-2009 at 5:58 pm

  21. Vashon Island, located in the Puget Sound between Seattle and Tacoma, has the bicycle tree.

    posted by Kris on 8-4-2009 at 6:46 pm

  22. I knew there would be an “older than Methuselah” line in here. I really like this one, Stacy :)

    posted by Adrienne Crezo on 8-4-2009 at 7:47 pm

  23. The Council Oak in Tulsa, OK is the ending point of the Creek Lochapoka clan’s journey during the Trail of Tears (they deposited their campfire ashes brought from Alabama under the tree).

    http://www.tulsapreservationcommission.org/nationalregister/buildings/index.pl?id=16

    posted by Kelly on 8-4-2009 at 8:19 pm

  24. Andrew-

    The Treaty Oak is still there. I drove past it every day untl I moved back to Houston in October. After the poisoning in ’89, Ross Perot pretty much just said “take as much money as you nee” and a massive effort saved it. It didn’t create any new acorns until 1997, though. They collected some of those acorns, germinated them and planted them around the state.

    As for the history of the tree: There were originally 14 trees in the Council Oaks where the Comanches and Tonakawas woud meet. The Treaty Oak is the only one left standing and is thought to be about 500 years old.

    posted by nikki on 8-4-2009 at 8:20 pm

  25. Brian,

    Hyperion tree is considered the worlds tallest tree (379.1′)

    The General Sherman tree has been considered the largest tree (excluding multi-stem trees) by volume, also it is the world’s largest living organism, if measured in volume.

    There is actually some disagreement about the largest tree with some claiming the Del Norte Titan or the Lost Monarch to be the largest, all located in California.

    posted by Sveyden on 8-4-2009 at 8:38 pm

  26. When I lived in Logan, UT there is a juniper tree called Jardine in the near by mountains which is over 3200 years old. It is the oldest tree in Utah.

    posted by Garrett on 8-4-2009 at 8:45 pm

  27. In New Zealand, we have the Te Matua Ngahere (the ‘Father of the Forest’). It’s about 2,000 years old, and the widest tree in New Zealand. More info linked to my name.

    posted by Logan on 8-4-2009 at 11:00 pm

  28. One Tree Hill in Auckland, New Zealand is known for being a political target – for over 100 years the trees planted at the top of the hill (next to an obelisk) have been repeatedly attacked by protesters, and in some cases, replaced.
    After the latest politically-motivated tree attack in 2000, the powers that be decided the lone pine tree couldn’t be resurrected and another would not be planted in its place. So now One Tree Hill is tree-less.

    Fun fact – the U2 song ‘One Tree Hill’ was written to honour a New Zealand employee of the band who was tragically killed.

    Another fun fact – the TV show of the same name took the title from the U2 song. And I believe one of the show’s minor characters is originally from New Zealand (although I’ve never watched it)

    posted by dangermouse on 8-4-2009 at 11:09 pm

  29. My county, Mercer County NJ, had the Mercer Oak until 2000. It lived on the field where the battle of Princeton had taken place, and when it was destroyed by a storm in, again, 2000, it was 300 years old.

    posted by Jo on 8-5-2009 at 1:21 am

  30. Jergig – Right on with the Hollow Tree mention. I’m glad they’re trying to save it, it’s an institution in Vancouver.

    posted by Meg on 8-5-2009 at 4:45 am

  31. My college (Alfred University) has a camperdown elm which isn’t actually a single famous tree but a very interesting topic in itself. The tree itself is manmade by grafting part of an old camperdown elm to a scotch elm tree. It can not reproduce and looks like sombody beat it with an ugly stick, but it is definitely one of the most interesting trees I have read about in a while.

    I also have a faint memory of a fruit tree at the Phipps National Conservatory in Pittsburgh that had been grafted with other fruit trees to bear multiple fruits, but I was much too young to have any solid evidence.

    posted by Griffin Patterson on 8-5-2009 at 7:03 am

  32. There’s also the Gernika tree, which is the Basque Country’s national symbol, because it’s where de lords of Biscay swore they would rule under the laws of the land. There’s an explanation here: http://is.gd/23BdV

    posted by Mar on 8-5-2009 at 7:54 am

  33. The “Half-way tree” is a famous landmark in Manitoba because it’s half-way between our two largest cities, Winnipeg and Brandon.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9dConrWQtU

    Here’s its facebook fan club.
    http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2238338312

    posted by peggrrl on 8-5-2009 at 8:40 am

  34. I grew up down the street from the Linden Oak in Bethesda, MD. It’s a 275 year old white oak.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linden_Oak

    posted by Hans Lawrenz on 8-5-2009 at 9:20 am

  35. More about the Tree that Owns Itself: At some point, some one tried to find the actual deed or document that showed that the land the tree was on was deeded to the tree. No such document could be found in Athens’ records. So, the city just declared that the Tree (and any offspring growing at that spot) are indeed free and do own themselves, despite the law.

    By the way, the tree is pretty neat, and in one of the most architecturally fascinating parts of the U.S.. The corner of Dearing and Finley Streets in Athens (where the Tree is located) is a historic district. The only cobblestone street left in the city is there.

    posted by Steve on 8-5-2009 at 9:52 am

  36. Logan already mentioned one of the giant kauri’s in New Zealand, but here’s his neighbor, Tane Mahuta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C4%81ne_Mahuta). So cool to drive this crazy winding road through the forest and then you have to get out and walk up a path to see the trees. They’re overwhelmingly huge and awesome.

    posted by Adrienne on 8-5-2009 at 10:16 am

  37. The Evangeline Oak in St. Martinville, LA.

    This is the tree where Emmeline, the main character from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem “Evangeline,” supposedly landed after her long flight from Nova Scotia after the Brits kicked out all the Catholics and sent them packing to south Louisiana.

    posted by Lindsey on 8-5-2009 at 11:32 am

  38. I’m not sure if it has a name, but there’s a huge tree in the middle of the Alamo with half of its branches braced with steel cables to hold them up.

    @GriffinPatterson, I go to Alfred as well and this article got me wondering about that tree and its origins. Question answered, I suppose.

    posted by Kameron on 8-5-2009 at 11:34 am

  39. Johns Island, SC (near Charleston) has the Angel Oak. It’s a Live Oak that’s 1500+ years old.

    posted by Jenn on 8-5-2009 at 11:42 am

  40. I second the Lahaina Banyan Tree. It covers an entire park that is one square block.

    Captcha (The Monotony)!!!

    posted by Stew on 8-5-2009 at 1:03 pm

  41. Just Southwest of Amarillo, TX, there used to be a “spinning tree”. It was a big, dead tree that somebody had cut down, then re-mounted to the stump on a swivel, so the tree would spin in the wind. It disappeared in the mid 90′s.

    posted by Jon on 8-5-2009 at 1:30 pm

  42. Don’t forget Jomon Sugi.
    Located on the island of Yakushima, the inspiration for the Princess Mononoke Forest of anime fame, it is estimated to be between 2,170 and 7,200 years old.
    The 5 hour trek up the mountain to see it was fun too ;-).

    posted by Jimi on 8-5-2009 at 1:31 pm

  43. Owen-

    You got to it before me! I grew up in Newburgh, NY (actually went to Balmville Elementary) so this tree holds a special place in my heart. I remember going to a meeting about cutting it down when I was around 10 or so so fight for it.

    It’s quite old, though-310 years, to be exact. It’s been dated to 1699. It’s also the smallest state park in NY state.

    posted by Kate on 8-5-2009 at 1:42 pm

  44. The Boyington Oak in Mobile, Alabama.
    In the early 19th century, in Mobile, a man named Charles Boyington was convicted of murder and sentenced to be hanged. With his last words he proclaimed that a great oak tree would grow from his grave, proving his innoncence. Sure enough an oak tree sprouted up soon after his burial, and it still stands today. Supposedly the tree is haunted.
    Click my name for the full story.

    posted by David on 8-5-2009 at 1:52 pm

  45. The Old Senator in St. Augustine Florida. It’s believed to be the oldest tree in the United States, and it gets its name because “It’s crooked, and it’s shady.”

    posted by Ophelia on 8-5-2009 at 2:02 pm

  46. There’s a tree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill called Davie Poplar that supposedly marked the center of the university by the founder. The legend is that as long as the tree stands the university will prosper. So when the tree was damaged in a storm and in danger of falling, they filled it with concrete! They also planted a seed and a cutting to be safe! Theres also a legend that if you kiss someone on the bench under Davie Poplar you will marry them. I can say from personal experience this legend is true!

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davie_Poplar

    posted by Chris on 8-5-2009 at 2:43 pm

  47. Have to give some love to Major Oak, a tree I’ve seen in Sherwood Forest, England.

    The Major Oak is a huge Oak tree near the village of Edwinstowe in the heart of Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, England. According to local folklore, it was Robin Hood’s shelter where he and his merry men slept.

    posted by LadyTaz on 8-5-2009 at 3:24 pm

  48. Andrew,

    Almost half of the branches of Treaty Oak had to be removed and it looks very empty after the poisoning. But I was living in Austin at the time and the entire city was outraged. I remember seeing a sign on a restaurant marquee that read, “Hang the guy who poisoned Treaty Oak from our tree.” A huge shrine with cards, candles and flowers was set up around the fence. Every school in town had their students write “get well” cards. The vandal was sentenced to like 10 years in prison. I wouldn’t be surprised if he served all 10.

    posted by Chandler on 8-5-2009 at 9:24 pm

  49. I grew up in Austin and learned of the famous Treaty Oak at a young age. My mother is somewhat of a hippie, and was outraged when it was poisoned in ’89. It is not nearly as grand as it once was, but huge efforts have been taken to restore it to its original stature.

    It seems everywhere I go there is a famous tree. Now I’m living in Fort Worth and here there is the John Peter Smith Oak, which is 200-300 years old. it was named and dedicated after one of Fort Worth’s first mayors who has been attributed with starting the first school district in this area. It is a grand tree as well.

    posted by Corbet on 8-6-2009 at 3:10 pm

  50. There is the Survivor Tree that stands at the OKC National Memorial. It survived the OKC bombing in 1995. According to Wikipedia, there are pictures of the downtown OKC that show the tree taken around the time of statehood (1907). Not the oldest, but a cool story anyway.

    posted by Katina on 8-8-2009 at 11:36 am

  51. EL I went to the art sale under the banyan tree in lahaina. that tree was amazing, it took up more than a city block and looked as though it had been there forever. Everytime i go back to maui there is something going on under that tree. an art show/sale, a fund raiser, a party. When i was there for halloween it seemed that was where all the fun started.

    posted by Big Al on 8-10-2009 at 11:15 am

  52. The Weeping Beech in London’s Hyde Park is an interesting tree.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hyde_park_tree.jpg

    posted by Vanessa on 8-10-2009 at 3:14 pm

  53. There’s a 600-year-old pine tree named Seok-song-ryong in South Korea, which has its own real estate, paying its own taxes, and even has a chair of its own on local scholarship fundraising committee.

    posted by Mark Suk on 7-22-2010 at 11:59 pm

Comment

commenting policy