Nature & Environment

Europe's oldest tree is over 1,000 years old

By T.K. Randall
August 22, 2016

Image: Leaf Forest
Credit: Den Vish / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) Nicknamed 'Adonis', this aged tree has managed to survive against all the odds in a region of the world that has seen more than its fair share of conflict over the last ten centuries.

The tree's age was determined by a group of researchers who drilled a core sample from the trunk and then painstakingly counted all of its rings.

Article in @washingtonpost on research from @Stockholm_Uni on what might be the oldest tree in Europe.https://t.co/qvK0l9bQ2P

— Stockholm University (@Stockholm_Uni) August 19, 2016

"I am impressed, in the context of western civilization, all the human history that has surrounded this tree; all the empires, the Byzantine, the Ottoman, all the people living in this region," said Stockholm University graduate student Paul J. Krusic who was involved in the study.

"So many things could have led to its demise. Fortunately, this forest has been basically untouched for over a thousand years."

Source: Christian Science Monitor

Tags: Tree, Europe