The spruce is the most common tree in Germany. Around 25 percent of the entire tree population consists of conifers, which can be up to 600 years old. All the more astonishing that the oldest spruce in the world is said to have survived for almost 10,000 years.
How old and where is the oldest spruce in the world?
The oldest spruce in the world, Old Tjikko, is around 9,550 years old and is located in the Fulufjället mountains in central Sweden. The tree reached its enormous age through vegetative propagation, in which its root system continually formed new offshoots.
How old is the oldest spruce tree in the world?
The oldest spruce, called Old Tjikko, is approximately 9,550 years old according to various radiocarbon dating. This cannot be said exactly because the dating method used only allows approximate values.
The researcher Leif Kullmann, who was a professor of ecology at Umeå University at the time the tree was discovered in 2008, tested not only the actual tree, but also the root system. This consists of several parts of different ages, with the actual trunk being only a few centuries old.
Where is the oldest spruce in the world?
The oldest spruce in the world is in central Sweden, near the border with Norway. The mountains called Fulufjället are now a nature reserve and very sparsely populated - like Sweden in general. The region has an inhospitable climate, which also explains the stunted growth of the spruce: According to the theory, Old Tjikko only survived because it kept growing offshoots - for example because its branches touched the ground and took root there. This vegetative (i.e. asexual) reproduction also explains the extremely old age, as the genetic material has always remained the same over the millennia.
Is Old Tjikko also the oldest tree in the world?
Strictly speaking, Old Tjikko is not the oldest tree in the world, but rather a clone tree that keeps sprouting from an ancient root system. This is comparable to the over 80,000 year old “Pando” cloning colony located in the USA, which has formed an entire forest of cloned aspen trunks. The root system is long-lasting, while the individual trunks in the case of the quaking aspen can reach a maximum of 200 years old and in the case of spruces a maximum of 600 years old.
What's special about Old Tjikko?
The special thing about Old Tjikko is not only his sheer age, but also the fact that he was able to get that old in the far north. Until 11,000 years ago - during the last ice age - the region was still covered by a thick layer of ice, which actually made plant growth impossible. Today, scientists assume that some areas of Scandinavia - such as along the coastal strips - remained ice-free.
In addition, until the tree was discovered, researchers assumed that spruce trees only reached Scandinavia around 2,000 years ago. Old Tjikko has refuted this theory.
Is Old Tjikko endangered?
Spruce trees are particularly at risk from climate change as they are particularly susceptible to drought and pest infestation. The species is actually quite undemanding, especially in terms of nutrient supply, but does require a lot of water in the form of precipitation. As climate change brings with it higher temperatures and less rainfall, Old Tjikko is also at risk of dying.
Tip
Can you plant spruce trees in the garden?
In principle, you can also plant spruce trees in your garden, but it should be large enough - the trees can be up to 60 meters high. However, in view of climate change, you should switch to more robust species such as the hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), gingko (Gingko biloba) or gleditschia (leather pod tree, Gleditsia triacanthos).
