MadSci Network: Botany |
Tree age is a fascinating topic because many species live for hundreds or over a thousand years. Several white oaks (Quercus alba) in the USA are notable for their great age. The famous Charter Oak of Connecticut lived about 350 years. Scientists in Ohio are currently studying a 373 year old white oak, which is considered the "Oldest Oak East Of The Mississippi". The Salem oak in New Jersey is estimated to be over 400 years old but Maryland claims its Wye Oak is almost 500 years old. There is obviously some debate as to which is the oldest white oak. Estimated tree ages may be inaccurate. The only sure way is to count the tree's rings, which may not be possible for a living tree because people may not wish to take a core from an ancient tree for fear of damaging it. The angel oak, a live oak (Quercus virginiana) in Charleston, SC is sometimes called the oldest living thing east of the Rocky Mountains. Angel oak is estimated to be over 1,400 years old. The oldest oak in Britain is an English oak (Quercus robur) and is estimated to be over 1,400 years old. Average oaks in a forest can easily live more than 50 to 100 years assuming they do not succumb to foresters or fires. You might want to check the book by Lewington titled "Ancient Trees: Trees That Live for 1,000 Years" to see which oak it lists. Most states have a Big Trees list which gives the tree dimensions for the biggest trees in the state but not usually the ages. References Charter Oak Researchers Study Oldest Oak East Of The Mississippi Salem Oak Wye Oak Angel Oak British Tree Register Majestic Trees of America Champion Tree Project Book review of Ancient Trees: Trees That Live for 1,000 Years Pennsylvania Big Trees 25 Largest National Big Trees
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