Old Tjikko, a 9,500-year-old Norwegian spruce found in Sweden, is the oldest known living tree. Named by Professor Leif Kullman, this ancient tree has withstood harsh climates since the Ice Age, showcasing how life can thrive in extreme environments.Ancient 9,500-Year-Old Tree Discovered in Sweden
A 9,500-year-old Norwegian spruce named “Old Tjikko,” believed to be the world’s oldest tree, thrives on a remote Swedish mountainside. The tree, named after Professor Leif Kullman’s Siberian husky, was found in 2004. Kullman, a Physical Geography professor at Umeå University, confirmed its astonishing age through carbon-14 dating.According to Professor Kullman, “Old Tjikko” has survived harsh conditions for millennia, developing a stunted, bonsai-like appearance. “Big trees cannot live as long as this one because strong winds and cold climates would eventually destroy them,” he explained to Aftonbladet. The tree’s endurance offers rare insights into environmental conditions that existed right after the last Ice Age when sea levels were 120 meters lower, and forests stretched across what is now the North Sea between England and Norway.The discovery of Old Tjikko highlights the resilience of certain plant species, revealing how they adapt to extreme environments over vast periods.(Source: National Geographic, Aftonbladet, My Modern Met)
Image credits: Karl Brodowsky
Image credits: Leif Kullman
Image credits: Carkrull
Image credits: Patrik Qvist
Image credits: IBL/Rex Features
Image credits: Petter Rybäck
A 9,500-year-old Norwegian spruce named “Old Tjikko,” believed to be the world’s oldest tree, thrives on a remote Swedish mountainside. The tree, named after Professor Leif Kullman’s Siberian husky, was found in 2004. Kullman, a Physical Geography professor at Umeå University, confirmed its astonishing age through carbon-14 dating.According to Professor Kullman, “Old Tjikko” has survived harsh conditions for millennia, developing a stunted, bonsai-like appearance. “Big trees cannot live as long as this one because strong winds and cold climates would eventually destroy them,” he explained to Aftonbladet. The tree’s endurance offers rare insights into environmental conditions that existed right after the last Ice Age when sea levels were 120 meters lower, and forests stretched across what is now the North Sea between England and Norway.The discovery of Old Tjikko highlights the resilience of certain plant species, revealing how they adapt to extreme environments over vast periods.(Source: National Geographic, Aftonbladet, My Modern Met)
Image credits: Karl Brodowsky
Image credits: Leif Kullman
Image credits: Carkrull
Image credits: Patrik Qvist
Image credits: IBL/Rex Features
Image credits: Petter Rybäck