9,500-Year-Old Tree Found In Sweden Is The World's Oldest Tree

The fir was discovered on a mountain in national park in central Sweden. Although the trunk is much younger, root system is at least 9,500 years. The tree took root at the end of the last ice age, but could be older. The tree sprung up in 7550 B.C., making it older than recorded history.

The tree, named Old Tjikko, pictured on a less cold day, was found by a team of scientists during a 2004 census. It has been able to survive so long thanks to the process of vegetative propagation, which means it is able to effectively clone itself. While the visible portion of the 13ft tall tree is relatively new, its root system has been growing for almost ten thousand years. The parts of the root system that were sent to the United States dated back nearly 10,000 years, it is possible that other parts are older, locals told Aftonbladet.