The Oldest Tree on Earth

This living tree is older than the pyramids of Egypt.

There is a very old tree in California. It is called a bristlecone pine. This specific tree is more than 4,800 years old. It was a baby long ago when the pyramids were young.

This tree lives in high, dry mountains. The air there is very thin and cold. It does not rain much in this place. Most trees cannot live here because they need water and warm soil.

But the bristlecone pine is different. Its roots go deep into hard rock to find water. The cold air stops bad bugs from eating the wood. So, this tree grows very slowly and stays healthy for thousands of years.

You can visit this tree in a park near the ground. It looks small and twisted, not like a giant forest tree. But its age makes it special.