Methuselah, a Great Basin bristlecone pine in California, is the world's oldest known non-clonal tree at nearly 4,850 years old.

Methuselah is a Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) growing in the Inyo National Forest of California. It germinated around 2833 BCE, predating the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. As a non-clonal organism, it is a single individual tree rather than a colony of genetically identical organisms sharing a root system.The tree thrives at approximately 3,000 meters elevation in the White Mountains, where harsh conditions actually work in its favor. The soil is composed of dolomite, which is alkaline and nutrient-poor, limiting competition from other plants and reducing wildfire risk due to sparse vegetation.In the 1950s, dendrochronologist Dr. Edmund Schulman discovered Methuselah's extraordinary age by studying its tree rings. The bristlecone pine's wood is exceptionally dense and resinous, allowing it to remain structurally intact for thousands of years even after death. This density creates a natural barrier against fungi, bacteria, and wood-boring insects like bark beetles.The tree employs a remarkable survival strategy called "sectored architecture." When large portions die, only the bark and vascular tissue connected to living roots remain active, while the rest becomes weathered, dead wood. This compartmentalization allows the tree to maintain essential functions during severe droughts or physical damage, maximizing its chances of long-term survival.