According to popular belief, trees are the only organisms capable of longevity. A thousand years is not the limit of their existence, especially if a person together with his inventions does not interfere in the natural course of events. However, the oldest representative of this tribe is Methuselah pine, which has become famous throughout the globe and has been included in every respectable reference book.
Mysterious tree
Pine Methuselah (photo above) is a representative of the genus of long-living pines. For existence, it needs rather harsh conditions: constant and harsh winds, almost complete absence of precipitation and fairly rarefied air. As a result, only a few states in the western United States, considered almost the most arid, lived such trees.
Judging by research by American scientists, Methuselah pine will soon "celebrate" 4850 years. It is named for the oldest biblical character. Although his miserable 969 years can not be compared with the age of the "namesake".
Longevity
The approximate coordinates of the growth of the miracle tree may become known to anyone who deigns to inquire about them. It is well known that Methuselah pine has chosen the territory of the state park of California. She grew up on one of the slopes of White Mountain (in the English spelling White Mountain). There is even a sign notifying that these places have generated a mighty tree. Do not hide the employees of the national park and the growth heights of the giant. However, the figure of three thousand meters above sea level, although striking the imagination, does not at all suggest where exactly the Methuselah pine is hiding (if I may say so about a rather big tree). And it’s almost impossible to get precise instructions on his whereabouts: secrecy is so high, as if it concerns American interests. You can only get a detailed route to the entrance to the park: on motorways number 14 and 395, heading north from Los Angeles, somewhat not reaching Bishop.
Why a pine tree is hidden: sad stories
Mystery did not appear out of the blue: the state wants the Methuselah pine to grow on its territory. Where exactly the tree is located, no one is informed for two reasons:
- In 1953, when a scientist named Edmond Schulman discovered a pine tree and published a sensational report, a real pilgrimage began to the mountains. Moreover, each tourist would like not only to look at the old-timer tree, but also to take a piece off “for memory”. As a result, Methuselah pine nearly died, and the government decided to classify its “residence permit”.
- It was confirmed in the correctness of the decision after an indescribable incident that occurred in 1964. Shortly before this, another multi-thousand-year-old pine was discovered, called Prometheus and lived at that time in 4861. A meticulous student named Donald Curry obtained permission from the US Forest Service to cut it off - just to count the annual rings.
It is not surprising that the guardians of forests so zealously protect their secrets.
Pine Methuselah: interesting facts
Scientists protest when a tree is called the "oldest living organism." Glacial bacteria, for example, are much older than Methuselah. However, among the more highly organized creatures, he is, without a doubt, a champion. A competitor in this area - the Tasmanian bush - has been taking root for more than forty millennia, but raises doubts about what is still the same plant that existed in time immemorial, and is not another descendant.
In Moscow there is a rock band called Mooncake. At one time, the guys recorded the album and called it Lagrange Points. Among other compositions, it includes the song Short Stories of Methuselah Tree, that is, "Tales of the Methuselah Tree."
The Swedish scientist Leif Kullman found in the province of his homeland Dalarna spruce, which turned 9550 years old. However, the world community refused to recognize her victory over Methuselah, since she is only the vegetative heir to an ancestor who has already died.
They say that somewhere in the world a tree hides, more ancient than Methuselah pine. However, careful researchers secreted not only about his whereabouts; they even hide what kind of genus it belongs to. And all because the behavior of people in relation to Prometheus and Methuselah was very alarming to them.