Bristlecone Pine

I absolutely fell IN LOVE with this tree in Yosemite National Park, California. For as aged and long-lived as it looks (and probably is), it was relatively small - maybe 13 feet? The tree fascinates me. I did not know what it was at the time, but learned later that it is a Bristlecone Pine. Most likely the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine - Pinus longaeva.

These trees are one of, if not THE, longest lived organisms on Earth, reaching an age of nearly 5,000 years! The oldest known living organism is "Methuselah", a Bristlecone Pine in a park in California. The exact location is undisclosed to protect the tree. A tree like this certainly demands respect and admiration!