Trees tell us stories. Scientists count their annual rings to determine their age. The sum of these years can be a sign of how resilient nature is to change.

Trees that have survived extreme weather, pests, disease and human intervention, for example, can provide insights that can help protect future generations of forests. A Florida oak, aptly named the “Big Tree,” is over 400 years old.. He has been struck by lightning at least three times and survived several hurricanes, but is still healthy enough that a Michigan nonprofit is trying to clone him.

What is the oldest tree?

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the bristlecone pines found in the White Mountains in California are the oldest tree species in the world. Their scientific name is “Pinus Longaeva.”

The world’s oldest living tree is “Methuselah.” The tree’s exact age is unknown, but experts believe it has lived for nearly 5,000 years, the U.S. Forest Service told USA TODAY in an email.

Dendrochronologist Edmund Schulman found and named the tree in 1957. This bristlecone pine is named after a biblical figure who, according to legend, lived to be over 900 years old. Previously, in 1964, a geographer had cut down another ancient tree with the permission of the Forest Service, which was given the name “Prometheus.” Only after the tree had been cut down did he realize that it was estimated to be 4,900 years old.

Bristlecone pines are considered “extremophiles” by scientists because they grow slowly and can withstand harsh environmental conditions such as low temperatures, high winds, dry soils and short growing seasons, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They have also adapted to a “sectored architecture,” meaning their roots only supply the part of the tree above them. When a root dies, only that part dies. The rest of the tree continues to grow around the skeletal parts, according to the National Park Service.

Is the oldest tree on earth still alive?

Yes, Methuselah has been alive since May 2024. According to National Geographic, scientists believe she is the oldest single living creature on Earth.

It stands in the Inyo National Forest between California’s Sierra Nevada and the Nevada border. The U.S. Forest Service is keeping its exact location secret to protect the tree from damage or vandalism, the agency confirmed in an email to USA TODAY.

But climate change is threatening the longevity of many of the world’s oldest trees. Scientists told The Washington Post they fear human-caused climate change will create dangerous conditions with extreme heat, drought and increased wildfires.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is the oldest tree in the world? Meet Methuselah