Trees: Older By Far Than Your Ancestors Are

 

Today let's talk about the oldest tree in the world and the loneliest tree in the world. And we think our "tree" is old!

"Scientists have examined an ancient tree still growing in a remote part of central Chile's Alerce Costero National Park, claiming it could be the oldest tree in the world. They believe it has survived for more than 5,000 years making it older that California's 4,850-year-old Methuselah, the bristlecone pine.  Known as "Gran Abuelo," or great-grandfather, the Patagonian cypress can be accessed only by an hour-long hike and is patrolled by a number of park rangers to make sure it is not harmed. The tree is 189-feet tall and is 13-feet in diameter." (Bit in Spokesman Review.)

Nestled in a windswept cove on far south end of New Zealand's Campbell Island, is a lone tree that should not be there. A 30-foot tall Sitka spruce has grown into a cauliflower shape rather than the cone-shape typical of the species. How in the world did a Sitka spruce, native to the North American western coast, end up here? Well, according to Google, the lonely tree was planted about 1900 by New Zealand's then-governor, Lord Ranfurly. More than 100 years later, the introduced spruce is considered the most isolated tree in the world. 

The conifer endures not only isolation but also the wild weather of the "Furious Fifties" latitudes. Campbell Island has 325 days of rain per year and gale-force winds for 100 days per year. Surprisingly, the spruce seems to be thriving in these conditions and still growing. 

In many Native American cultures, trees are considered to be ancestors, meaning they are viewed as part of the family lineage and are deeply respected as living beings with a spirit, sharing a connection to the past generations and the natural world at large; this belief stems from the understanding that humans and trees are interconnected and part of the same life force. (AI generated response in Google.)

Trees: An Arboretum of Tree Lore

 I purchased this little book in an airport gift shop, killing time between flights. It's been a deee-lightful and most informative read. For instance: 

"A seed hidden in the heart of an apple is an orchard invisible." (Welsh Proverb)

"A tree has roots in the soil yet reaches to the sky. It tells us that in order to aspire we need to be grounded and that no matter how high we go it is from our roots that we draw sustenance." (Wangari Maathai, Kenyan Political activist, 1940-2011)

"Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf." (Albert Schweitzer, 1875-1965)

"Into the forest I go to lose my mind and find my soul." (John Muir, 1838-1914)

"A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit." (Greek proverb)

"What we are going to the forest of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another." (Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948)

"A person who loves trees and forests is known as a dendrophile. That person could also be called another obscure term: nemophilist. Or you could simple call that person a tree hugger."

"You might come across a miniature whirlwind of leaves, thought by some to be created by a fairy dance, with tiny fairies riding on the leaves. Try catching a leaf in the air before it touches the ground...the fairy riding it will grant you a wish."

"Acts of creating are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets, but humbler folk may circumvent this restriction if they know how. To plant a pine, for example, one need be neither god or poet; one need only own a shovel." (Aldo Leopard, 1887-1948)

P.S. This little book cost $8.95.