1. Great Basin Bristlecone Pine
Age: 5,071 years
Species: Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva)
Location: Inyo County, California, USA
Still Alive: Yes
Unnamed Great Basin Bristlecone Pine photo source:Wikipedia
This Great Basin Bristlecone Pine is the oldest tree in the world, with an estimated age of 5,071 years. It was named the oldest tree in 2012, beating the previous record holder by over 200 years.
The tree was cored by Edmund Schulman in the late 1950s, but he did not have a chance to date his sample before he passed away in 1958.
The tree’s age was later determined by Tom Harlan in 2010, who was working on the samples Schulman collected before he also died. Before his death, Harlan reported that the tree was still alive and that it was 5,062 years old.