The Longest Living Plants  

Belonging to the kingdom Plantae are living organisms known as plant. Flowers, bushes, herbs, grasses, ferns, vines, green algae, mosses and trees comprises this kingdom. People who study plants are called botanist; and as of 2010 over 315,000 plant species have been identified. The number has a breakdown of the following classifications: flowering 281, 821, bryophytes 16,236 and ferns and fern allies 12,000. There are so many things that we need to learn about plants; but have you ever wondered about the longest living plants? Well, here is a list of the 5 longest living plants for you.

The Cycads

These plants are widespread in cultures that consider this plant as a representation of timelessness. Cycads live to hundreds and thousands of years; and hence were considered as one of the world's longest living plants. It was said that it started to grow 230 million years ago and has never altered for about 90 million years. Because of that, it was given an ancient name "Living Fossils". They have lived during the olden era where dinosaurs still exist. These plants were aplenty during the Triassic period.

Cycads got the attention of people in the late 1800 and early 1900. Kew gardens in London possess the oldest potted cycads which were taken in South Africa in the latter part of 1700s and are called Encephalartos altenstienii. Japan has the Cycads revolute, the oldest cycad bonsai. Most of its species are regarded endangered as it is rare to find them making it illegal to collect these plants.

Methuselah

Belonging to the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine, Methuselah is now 4,842 years old. These species (Pinus longaeva) of tree can be found on the rise in Eastern California in the White Mountains of Inyo County.

Its name was taken from a Biblical figure that had lived for 969 years. The Forest of Ancients in the Inyo National Forest is where Methuselah grows at 2,900 to 3,000 meters or 9,500 to 9,800 feet above sea level in the Methuselah Grove. To safeguard it from destruction, its precise site is not made known. It was 4,789 years old when Edmund Schulman and Tom Harlan had it sampled in 1957and found a probable origin in 2832 BC.

Llangernyw Yew

Europe's oldest solitary tree is one of the world's longest living plants and ranks 2nd or 3rd oldest solitary tree in the globe. It was thought to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years of age and can be found in the Llangernyw village church's garden in North Wales.

The tale on Llangernyw Yew goes like this. It was said that old and harmful spirits dwell in the garden of Llangernyw church. The spirit is called Angelystor (Recording Angel), who has cursing powers. The parishioners' names that were to pass away the following year were always called out by this spirit during Halloween of each year. However, a certain man, Siôn Ap Rhobert, who never believed this tale defied the spirit one Halloween night but instead heard his name included in the list. As what happened to the other parishioners whose names were called, the man did die the following year.

Fortingall Yew

Located at the garden of Fortingall village church in Perthshire, Scotland, Fortingall Yew was estimated to be about 2000 - 5000 years old. This ancient yew was noticed because of its huge trunk with a girth of 16 meters or 52 feet.

Legend has it that its shade is a witness to the birth of Pontius Pilate who used to play in the area in his childhood days. This, however, is considered improbable since North Britain was never a part of the Roman Empire during those days.

Yareta

A small flowering plant belonging to the family Apiceae, Yareta was called Azorella yareta in the past by the Spanish and is also called Llareta. It is a local plant of South America which can be found in the grasslands of Puna, Andes in Bolivia, North Chile, West Argentina and Peru with an altitude of about 3,200 to 4,500 meters. A lot of yaretas are more than 3,000 years of age.

Yaretas are perennially green throughout the year with lavender or pink flowers, both of which have male and female organs. Insects are responsible for its pollination.

Garden in a bit of a mess? Old plants that seem to last forever? Leave it to us. We'll come and do a garden tidy in London.

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