10 Oldest Trees in the World

Jurupa Oak
Age: over 13,000 years
Species: Palmer’s Oak (Quercus palmeri)
Location: Jurupa Mountains, Crestmore Heights, California, USA
Still Alive: Yes

Jurupa Oak
The Jurupa Oak (the tree’s name; it is a Palmer’s Oak) is another clonal colony tree that has survived for thousands of years by cloning itself. Only discovered within the past decade, the Jurupa Oak is over 13,000 years old. It is now the oldest oak tree ever and one of the oldest trees in California.

Its age was estimated by researchers based on the size of the colony and the growth of individual stems.

Another unique thing about the Jurupa Oak is that it is the only Palmer’s Oak in the area because the species typically prefers to live in wetter and more mountainous areas — the Jurupa Mountains are arid and at a lower altitude.

In 2009, when the Jurupa Oak was first discovered, the tree had about 70 clusters of stems, was 2.5 kilometers (1.55 miles) in width, and 1 meter (3.28 feet) in height.