Located in the small town of Ano Vouves on the island of Crete in Greece, this remarkable tree has seen more in its lifetime than most things on this earth.
Indeed, at an age between 2500-4000 years old, this huge, ancient olive tree is considered the oldest on the planet.
Throughout its long life, the heartwood of this tree has decayed, leaving a gnarled, twisted trunk that is hollow inside. The monumental twisted trunk and exposed roots add to the mystique and wonder of this ancient living thing. Indeed, the lack of heartwood makes the historical dating of this tree next to impossible.
This short video from Approach Guides gives a walk around of the tree, peacefully sitting in the town square, leaves swaying in the breeze.
Protected by the town and government in 1997, the tree continues to live on gracefully, and still produces olives to this day.
The tree’s huge circumference shows its age, and the gnarled, twisted wood reveal a hollow center at its base.
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6 Comments
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Awesome it’s amazing that it still has living leaves even with out its core.
What an amazing comment, we weren’t aware of this tree until recently. It’s magical.
Whenever I see this tree, I automatically take a deep breath. The kind of breathe that makes you realize you may have been holding your breath without realizing it. I should definitely get a print of this amazing tree.
Yes! We did the math, it’s over 35 sequential human lifetimes!
Love