
A Bosnian pine growing in Greece has been dated to be more than 1000 years old - upen
http://sciencebulletin.org/archives/4438.html
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misiti3780
I have no clue where the author of this article is pulling the fact that this
tree is the oldest in Europe. I was just in Croatia on the Island of Pag a few
months ago, standing in front of an Olive tree [1][2] that is 400+ years older
than this tree:

Either the Croatians lied to me (and the internet, and the world) or this
article is just completely invalid

[1] [http://www.autocampdrazica.com/en/island-pag-novalja-
lun-s5....](http://www.autocampdrazica.com/en/island-pag-novalja-lun-s5.htm)

[2] [https://secretdalmatia.wordpress.com/2010/10/31/olive-
trees-...](https://secretdalmatia.wordpress.com/2010/10/31/olive-trees-of-
lun/)

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retube
Aye. Plenty of trees in UK older than this, including one at 4,000+

[http://www.ancient-tree-
hunt.org.uk/discoveries/newdiscoveri...](http://www.ancient-tree-
hunt.org.uk/discoveries/newdiscoveries)

~~~
ionwake
Yep, the tree I spent alot of my youth playing with is over 2000+ and I had no
idea at the time

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zyxzevn
While impressive, it is not the oldest tree in Europe. see:
[http://www.monumentaltrees.com/en/records/europe/](http://www.monumentaltrees.com/en/records/europe/)
And:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA2ks_cFr90](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA2ks_cFr90)

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mmanfrin
I am convinced that superlative trees are cursed. The oldest tree in the world
was killed while being dated (a core sample killed it). The most isolated tree
in the world was hit by a drunk driver. The (2nd?) largest tree in the world
was set on fire by a couple people smoking meth; and in the same forest, a
super rare Chimera Albino Redwood was slated to be destroyed because it was in
the path of a proposed railway.

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pwarner
This chimera redwood was moved for a railroad track, and is apparently doing
well still. [http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4402215-181/rare-cotati-
re...](http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4402215-181/rare-cotati-redwood-
thriving-a?gallery=4406677&artslide=0)

~~~
ionwake
Im surprised, but glad to hear it, thanks for the link.

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endymi0n
Well, I certainly wouldn't date a pine, even if it would make it 2000 years
old. Pines are way too introverted for my taste.

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koolba
Cedar? I hardly know her!

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PanosJee
Not even the oldest in Greece. The olive grove of Plato is 2300 years old or
the plane tree of Arna.

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samastur
You mean this one: [http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-basics/platos-
sacred-...](http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-basics/platos-sacred-olive-
tree-vanished/32262) ?

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keeganjw
You should check out Pando, a grove of this one quaking aspen tree that is
supposed to be about 80,000 years old. It's bonkers how old trees can live.

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nitrogen
It's not the oldest tree I've heard of, but the article describes it as the
oldest in Europe. What makes other cadidates for oldest tree not count, and is
there some political significance to the combined type, age, and location of
the tree?

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pointillistic
How do they measure the tree rings on a live tree? How else do they determine
the age?

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nn3
They take a small core using a hollow drill. This is enough to determine the
rings and the age, and won't harm the tree.

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riffraff
IANA botanist, but I think this method doesn't work on some trees (i.e.
millennia-old olive trees) because old tissue is not there anymore, or because
they have messed up rings, or on trees that have multiple trunks.

So IIUC they integrate carbon dating, ratio between total size and growth rate
and other things.

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ferrari8608
I would love to see that core sample. The tree isn't, or at least doesn't
appear to be very big, so the rings must have been tiny.

