10 Oldest Trees in the World

2. Prometheus
Age: 4,862 – 4,900 years
Species: Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva)
Location: Wheeler Peak, Nevada, USA
Still Alive: No

Prometheusphoto source: Wikimedia Commons

Prometheusphoto source: Wikimedia Commons

Prior to its demise in 1964, Prometheus was one of the oldest trees in the world and at the time, it was even older than Methuselah. The tree was located in a grove of several old trees in Wheeler Park, Nevada.

Due to the secretive nature of the older, unnamed Bristlecone Pine on this list, Prometheus is often cited das the oldest Bristlecone Pine in the U.S.

In 1964, geographer Donald R. Currey was given permission from the Forest Service to take a core sample of the tree to determine its age, which he suspected was over 4,000 years.

Unfortunately, Currey’s extraction went awry and the entire tree was cut down.

Researchers counted 4,862 growth rings on the core sample, but estimate that the tree may have been at least 4,900 years old as it likely did not grow a ring every year due to the area’s harsh conditions.