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Great Basin Bristlecone Pine

Pinus longaeva. Reputedly the oldest living things on the planet, with some individuals having documented ages >5000 years. The oldest trees look as gnarly as this, or more, with lots of dead, bleached limbs and only patches of living bark. It turns out that trees in more favorable locations don't live as long, because their heartwood grows faster, and therefore is not as dense and more susceptible to decay! The dense short needles along the twigs giving a "bottlebrush" appearance is characteristic. The thin limbs will even droop when long enough.
Great Basin National Park, Nevada, in the cirque below Wheeler Peak. The elevation here is ~10K feet.
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9 comments

William Sutherland said:

Fantastic shot!

Admired in:
www.ipernity.com/group/tolerance
9 years ago

Pam J said:

The true inheritors of the Earth

Admired in ~ I ♥ Nature
9 years ago

slgwv replied to Pam J:

;)
9 years ago ( translate )

tiabunna said:

Fascinating, I'd heard of these. Good information too.
Silver Surfers.
9 years ago

slgwv said:

Thanks, everyone! Just shows that stress makes you live longer! ;)
9 years ago

Don Barrett (aka DBs… said:

That's a great little area for hiking at Great Basin, wonderful bristelcones plus a dying glacier.
9 years ago

slgwv said:

And doesn't have the crowds of most nat'l parks!
9 years ago

Andy Rodker said:

Excellent!
8 years ago ( translate )

slgwv said:

Thanks, Andy!
8 years ago