Joining this forum has me questioning everything...

[brianbeech]

So, I grew up in South Mississippi. Grand oaks down here - makes me wonder though, could these trees be as old as advertised; and how would they know?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/the-jude/2687503599/

shows a picture of "The Patriarch" - has a sign on it stating that the tree is over 2,000 years old. Is this possibly true? It is about 1000 yards from the Sound - survived Camille and Katrina.

What do you think? BTW - not my link - googled it.

 

[fireview2788]

I have seen forestry experts pull a core sample from the tree and count it that way. Way too technical for me.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Or they may go by previous trees of the same or similar diameter. I do think it is possibly true for the age of that tree.

 

[granpajohn]

2000 years does not sound right to me.
I believe the best way to check a tree is to make a core. Not too hard to do.

Most states have a Champion Tree board which keeps track of such things. Take a look here for MS: http://www.mfc.ms.gov/champion_trees.htm

 

[tfdchief]

So, I grew up in South Mississippi. Grand oaks down here - makes me wonder though, could these trees be as old as advertised; and how would they know?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/the-jude/2687503599/

shows a picture of "The Patriarch" - has a sign on it stating that the tree is over 2,000 years old. Is this possibly true? It is about 1000 yards from the Sound - survived Camille and Katrina.

What do you think? BTW - not my link - googled it.

You bet ya! Lots of them. Here you go http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_trees

 

[jimosufan]

maybe they mean 200 years old. at 2000 yrs I would expect it to be much bigger IMO.

 

[Exmasonite]

I just visited the Natural History Museum in NYC... they have a section of sequoia there, stands about 15-20 feet tall and that tree is 1300 yrs old. Here's a link:

http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/other/forest.html

(for reference, that little information stand in front of the section is at least waist high)

 

[Wood Duck]

No way. I doubt there is any tree anywhere close to that old in the southeast, and if there were a Live Oak that old it would be a lot bigger than the tree in the picture. I have seen Live Oaks that large that were planted along the drives into old plantations far less than 2000 years ago.

 

[pen]

I've searched and searched and can't find anything to refute the age of that tree. It's quite famous.

pen

 

[Exmasonite]

well, neither the tree i mentioned nor the OP's made this list (although there is a South American tree also called the "Patriarch" on there):

10 Oldest Trees in the World

(i have no idea whether this article is accurate or not)