The Oldest Living Tree Is 5,067 Years Old — Older Than the Egyptian Pyramids

In the White Mountains of eastern California, in a grove called the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, stands a tree called Methuselah. As of recent measurements, it is approximately 4,860 years old — meaning it began growing around 2832 BCE, before the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

An even older tree, also a bristlecone pine, is reportedly 5,067 years old, but its exact location and identity are kept secret to prevent vandalism.

Why Bristlecone Pines Live So Long

• They grow at extremely high elevations (3,000+ meters) where most species cannot survive
• Bitterly cold winters and dry summers slow their metabolism
• Their dense, resinous wood resists insects, rot, and fire
• They grow incredibly slowly — sometimes adding less than 1mm of trunk diameter per year
• When wood dies, it does not decay rapidly in the cold, dry mountain air

Other Long-Lived Organisms

• Pando, Utah: A clonal aspen colony estimated to be 14,000 years old (potentially older); a single genetic individual covering 43 hectares
• Posidonia oceanica: A Mediterranean seagrass colony estimated at 100,000+ years old
• Antarctic glass sponge: Estimated to live up to 15,000 years
• Black coral: Some specimens are over 4,000 years old

The Loss of Prometheus

In 1964, a graduate student studying climate took a core sample from a bristlecone pine called Prometheus. His drill broke. He cut the tree down to retrieve the equipment. Counting the rings revealed Prometheus was 4,862 years old — at that time, the oldest tree ever recorded. It was killed for a broken drill bit. The story haunted forestry science for decades.