How Long Does An Oak Live? How Many Years Has It Been Growing And How Fast? Life Expectancy Of Trees In Russia And The World. How Old Can An Oak Live?

2024 Author: Beatrice Philips | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-18 12:09

"Centuries-old oak" - this expression is well known to everyone. It is very often used in congratulations, wishing a person a long life. And this is not surprising, because the oak is one of the few representatives of the flora, which is characterized not only by power, strength, height, greatness, but also longevity. The age of this giant may exceed more than one hundred years.

Many people are interested in the question of how many years an oak tree can live and grow. In this article, we decided to tell everything about this long-liver.

How many years does an oak grow?

The oak became the tree that was repeatedly written about in various legends and stories. He has always been considered the source of strength and power in our ancestors. So today - this tree, growing in different parts of the world (especially its population is large in Russia), never ceases to amaze with its size.

Due to the fact that science and technology are very well developed at the present time, scientists were able to establish that the lifespan and growth of an oak tree ranges from 300 to 500 years . For its first 100 years, the tree grows rapidly and maximizes its height, and throughout the rest of its life, its crown grows and the trunk becomes thicker.

The lifespan of a tree can be different, it is influenced by many different factors. Let's list the main ones.

• The state of the environment . Man and his activities, which have repeatedly become the cause of various man-made and natural disasters, have a very large impact on the life of a plant.
• Water resources and sunlight … Oak, like any other member of the flora family, needs sunlight and water. If he gets them in a balanced amount at the right time, he feels great and thrives. Otherwise, for example, with a high level of humidity and lack of sun (or vice versa), the tree begins to fade away, dries up.

It is worth noting that the life span of a tree is also influenced by the condition of the soil in which it grows. Currently relevant is the problem of waterlogged soil , which also arose due to human activity. Constant tillage, installation of irrigation systems lead to the fact that the soil that was previously healthy and full of nutrients and microelements begins to die. And with it all the vegetation dies. Even an oak tree, no matter how large and strong it is, cannot survive in such an environment.

Numerous studies have found that oak trees are currently growing on Earth, the approximate age of which is about 2 thousand years. And also scientists say that there are several specimens of adult trees, which are already about 5 thousand years old. Such mature plants are considered the descendants of the earliest and most ancient oaks. Unfortunately, there is no way to determine the exact age today, there are only assumptions.

From the above, we can conclude that a tree under the most favorable conditions for it can live for a very long time, even several millennia . On average, of course, given the current state of ecology and the environment, this figure does not exceed 300 years. It is a pity that a person does not have time to stop and think about the colossal harm he does to everything that surrounds him, even to such giants as oak trees.

Life expectancy in Russia

Russia is the habitat of a large number of oak species, of which there are currently about 600 … Most often here you can find the pedunculate oak, which has taken root well and is used to even the most severe climate. This type is characterized by resistance to various atmospheric disasters, changing weather conditions. He calmly and easily tolerates drought, temperature changes.

On average, the life span of oak trees on the territory of the Russian Federation is from 300 to 400 years. If the conditions are favorable, and there is no negative impact on the tree, it can live for 2 thousand years.

Oldest trees

As already mentioned, today there are about 600 species of oak trees in the world. Each species is unique, differs both in size and appearance, and most importantly - in life expectancy . Of course, there is no way to list and tell about all types of oak, but it is possible to mention the oldest trees.

Let's get acquainted with long-lived oak trees, which amaze the human imagination with their size and age. It should be noted that some of the oldest trees are still growing and functioning, while others live in the legends, tales and stories of our ancestors.

Mamvri

This is the oldest oak tree known today. His homeland is the Palestinian Authority in the city of Hebron … Scientists have found that its age is about 5 thousand years.

The history of the Mamre oak goes back to biblical times. There are many biblical stories associated with this giant. It was under this tree that the meeting of Abraham and God took place.

Since this giant is often mentioned in the Bible, for a long time they were looking for him and wanted to cash in on him. In the 19th century, the oak was found by the clergyman Anthony, who belonged to the Russian Orthodox Church. Since then, this miracle of nature has been constantly looked after.

People formed an opinion, which over time began to be called a prophecy. There is such a belief: when the "Mamvrian giant" dies, the apocalypse will come. In 2019, a terrible thing happened - a tree that had been drying for a long time collapsed.

But, fortunately, in the place where the long-lived oak grew, several young shoots sprouted, and they will be the successors of the family.

Stelmuzhsky

Stelmuzhsky oak grows in Lithuania, its height is 23 meters, trunk girth is 13.5 meters.

The tree is very old. According to some information, it can be concluded that Stelmuzhsky oak is about 2 thousand years old … It was often mentioned in ancient pagan manuscripts, where they wrote about how sacrifices were made to the gods near the oak tree, and an ancient pagan temple was erected under its crown for the same sacrifices.

Unfortunately, at the present time the condition of the long-liver is not very good - its core has completely rotted away.

Granitsky

The village of Granit, which is located in Bulgaria, is the proud owner of another rarity known throughout the world. For 17 centuries, an oak has been growing in the village, which is called the Giant. The height of the giant is 23.5 meters.

The tree is held in high esteem by the locals. People know the history of the oak well, respect it, because based on historical data, we can conclude that the Giant Oak was a participant in many historical important moments. He is currently alive. The villagers actively collect its fruits, acorns and try to grow young shoots from them, because everyone understands perfectly well that sooner or later the Giant Oak will die.

Scientists who investigated the state of the Bulgarian giant concluded that 70% of the trunk had already died.

Oak-chapel

The inhabitants of the village of Allouville-Belfoss, in France, have already for over a thousand years they have been the guardians of one of the oldest oaks in the world, whose name is "Oak Chapel ". The height of the tree is currently 18 meters, the trunk is 16 meters in girth. The trunk of the tree is so large that it accommodates two chapels - the hermit and the Mother of God. They were created by human hands back in the 17th century.

This unusual fact has caused a crowd of tourists to visit the tree every year. To get to the chapels, you need to climb a spiral staircase, which is also located in the trunk of an oak tree.

Supporters of pilgrimage and the Catholic Church annually celebrate the Feast of the Ascension near the oak tree.

Bogatyr of Tavrida

Of course, such a beautiful corner of the globe as the Crimea, the nature and flora of which amazes the imagination, also keeps one of the wonders on its territory. In Simferopol, the "Bogatyr of Tavrida", a botanical natural monument of the peninsula, has been growing for 700 years.

This oak has an interesting and rich history. It is believed that its first shoots appeared at the time when the famous Kebir-Jami mosque was being built. And also do not forget that this very long-liver was mentioned by Alexander Pushkin in the greatest poem "Ruslan and Lyudmila".

Both the Lukomorye and the green oak - all this is about the "Bogatyr of Tavrida".

Pansky

There is in the Russian Federation, in the Belgorod region, the village of Yablochkovo, on the territory of which for 550 years the Pansky oak grows. It is very high - it rises to 35 meters, but in the girth it is not very wide - only 5.5 meters.

Many legends are associated with this oak, which mention that back in the 17th century, when there was a massive felling of forests for the construction of fortresses, only the Pansky oak was left untouched. Even then, he aroused admiration among people.

Some historical manuscripts indicate that Emperor Peter I himself repeatedly visited the long-liver. Allegedly, he really loved to rest under its lush crown.