According to popular belief, trees are the only organisms capable of longevity. A thousand years is not the limit of their existence, especially if a person, along with his inventions, does not interfere in the natural course of events. However, the oldest representative of this tribe is the Methuselah pine, which has become famous throughout the globe and is included in every respected reference book.
Mysterious tree
Methuselah Pine (photo above) is a member of the genus of long-lived pines. To exist, it needs rather harsh conditions: constant and sharp winds, the almost complete absence of precipitation and fairly rarefied air. As a result, such trees inhabited only a few states in the western United States, which are considered almost the driest.
According to the research of American scientists, Methuselah pine will soon "celebrate" 4850 years. It is named after the oldest biblical character. Though its pitiful969 years can not be compared with the age of the "namesake".
Residence of a long-liver
Approximate coordinates of the growth of the miracle tree can become known to anyone who deigns to ask them. It is well known that the Methuselah pine has chosen the territory of the California State Park. She grew up on one of the slopes of White Mountain (in English spelling White Mountain). There is even a sign there stating that it was these places that gave birth to a mighty tree. Do not hide the staff of the national park and the height of the growth of the giant. However, the figure of three thousand meters above sea level, although it strikes the imagination, does not at all tell where exactly the Methuselah pine is hiding (if I may say so about a rather rather large tree). And it is almost impossible to get exact instructions on his whereabouts: the secrecy is so high, as if it concerns the state interests of America. All you can get is a detailed route to the entrance to the park: along highways 14 and 395, heading north from Los Angeles, a little short of Bishop.
Why the pine is hidden: sad stories
Mystery did not appear out of the blue: the state wants the Methuselah pine to continue growing on its territory. Exactly where the tree is located is not reported to anyone for two reasons:
- In 1953, when a scientist named Edmond Shulman, who discovered a pine tree, published a sensational report, the mountains beganreal pilgrimage. Moreover, each tourist wanted not only to look at the old-timer tree, but also to chip off a piece “for memory”. As a result, the Methuselah pine almost died, and the government decided to classify its “registration”.
- It was confirmed in the correctness of the decision taken after an indescribable incident that occurred in 1964. Shortly before this, another multi-thousand-year-old pine was discovered, named Prometheus and living at that time in 4861. A meticulous student named Donald Curry got permission from the US Forest Service to cut it down - just to count the annual rings.
No wonder the keepers of the forests are so protective of their secrets.
Methuselah Pine: Interesting Facts
Scientists protest when a tree is called "the oldest living organism". Glacial bacteria, for example, are much older than Methuselah. However, among the more highly organized creatures, he is without a doubt the champion. A competitor in this field, the Tasmanian bush, has been taking root for over forty millennia, but it is doubtful that it is the same plant that existed in ancient times, and is not just another descendant.
There is a rock band in Moscow called Mooncake. At one time, the guys recorded an album and called it Lagrange Points. Among other compositions, it includes the song Short Stories of Methuselah Tree, i.e. "Stories of the Methuselah Tree".
Swedish scientist Leif Kullman found a spruce in the province of his homeland Dalarna, whichturned 9550 years old. However, the world community refused to recognize her victory over Methuselah, since she is only a vegetative heir to an ancestor who has already died.
They say somewhere in the world there is a tree hiding, older than the Methuselah pine. It's not just his whereabouts, however, that careful explorers keep secret; they even hide what genus it belongs to. And all because the behavior of people in relation to Prometheus and Methuselah very alarmed them.
