19 May, 2017

Where the old things are: Australia’s most ancient tree

They say that trees live for thousands of years. Like many things that “they” say, there is a germ of truth in the saying (even though it is mostly false).
King’s Holly, or Lomatia tasmanica, can form clones nearly 50,000 years old.
The vast majority of trees that burst forth from seeds dropped on the Australian continent die before reaching maturity, and in fact most die within a few years of germination.

But depending on how you define a tree, a very select few trees can live for an astoundingly long time.


Read the piece on The Conversation - “Where the old things are: Australia’s most ancient tree.”

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