There's a tree in this North Carolina swamp that's at least 2,624 years old.

[Cattledog]

There's a specific stand of bald cypress trees along the Black River in North Carolina that are some of the oldest trees in the country. Locally known as the Three Sisters Swamp, there are several trees in the group known to be more than 1,000 years old.

But researchers recently discovered a bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) in the swamp that's at least 2,624 years old. According to their study, published in the journal Environmental Research Communications, the discovery revealed bald cypress as "the oldest-known wetland tree species, the oldest living trees in eastern North America, and the fifth oldest known non-clonal tree species on earth."

(Non-clonal trees mean the trunk is the same age as the roots. Clonal trees originate from the same ancestor and often live for tens of thousands of years.)

According to the researchers, only individual trees of Sierra juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) at 2,675 years, giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) at 3,266 years, alerce (Fitzroya cuppressoides) at 3,622 years, and Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) at 5,066 years old are known to live longer than the Black River bald cypress.

https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/blogs/scientists-discover-tree-least-2624-years-old?fbclid=IwAR1Jqf8RjSV_Fq2qdNP8dmzByel7i48bVLuSjMkWV2j-FcDH94c_bfocV3k

[handmade34]

1. video at link

awesome trees!!

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/science-technology/article230222129.html

https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/black-river-preserve/

[philly_bob]

2. All North & South American

According to the researchers, only individual trees of Sierra juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) at 2,675 years, giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) at 3,266 years, alerce (Fitzroya cuppressoides) at 3,622 years, and Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) at 5,066 years old are known to live longer than the Black River bald cypress.

Those are all new-world species. Is that right? (Had to look up alerce -- it's South American.) Why aren't there ancient trees on other continents?