What is the approximate age of Methuselah, the oldest known non-clonal tree?

Methuselah, the oldest known non-clonal tree, is approximately 4,855 years old.

Methuselah is a Great Basin bristlecone pine, Pinus longaeva, growing somewhere in California’s White Mountains. Researchers estimated its age by studying annual growth rings and cross-dating them with ring patterns from other bristlecone pines. Its precise location is kept secret to protect it from vandalism.

The tree’s name refers to Methuselah, the biblical patriarch traditionally said to have lived 969 years. The bristlecone pine survived for nearly five millennia because it grows slowly in a cold, dry, high-altitude environment where insects, competing plants, and decay are limited.

The phrase “oldest known” matters: some clonal colonies may be much older, but they consist of genetically connected stems rather than one individual tree. Unnamed bristlecones and other trees have also produced competing age claims, so figures may vary slightly by dating method. For quiz purposes, about 4,855 years is the standard estimate associated with Methuselah.