Roughly 3,000 to 3,240 years old.
Ancient trees in the United States
America's most famous trees are destinations rather than city sights. We map 373 trees in 62 cities here. The oldest of them is The President in Sequoia National Park, at roughly 3,200 years.
People drive to the Angel Oak outside Charleston and to the Hundred-Horse Chestnut's American cousins the way they drive to a canyon, and that is how this country reads on a map of old trees. The registers behind them are patchy in a way that surprised us: Portland keeps a genuine Heritage Tree list and Hawaii designates individual Exceptional Trees by county ordinance. San Francisco keeps a numbered Landmark Tree list on ordinary webpages, and most other cities either protect any tree over a set trunk size automatically or publish every street tree they own and nothing in between. So the good American trees are found one at a time, by name, and that is how we map them.
Oldest trees by state
1Texas56 trees · 6 places2California48 trees · 11 places3Hawaii43 trees · 5 places4Oregon35 trees · 3 places5Washington33 trees · 3 places6Massachusetts14 trees · 2 places7Pennsylvania13 trees · 4 places8Georgia5 trees · 3 places9Maryland5 trees · 2 places10Missouri5 trees · 2 places
Every place we map in the United States
1
Portland33 trees · oldest 300 years2
New York27 trees · oldest 350-450 years3
Oahu21 trees · oldest 175 years4Fort Worth18 trees · oldest 235 years5Chicago16 trees · oldest 300-375 years6
Seattle16 trees · oldest 600 years7
Washington DC16 trees · oldest 330 years8
Boston13 trees · oldest 390 years9Spokane13 trees · oldest 400 years10Dallas12 trees · oldest 250 years11Houston11 trees · oldest 400 years12Las Vegas11 trees13
Los Angeles11 trees · oldest 200 years14
Austin10 trees · oldest 500-600 years15
New Orleans8 trees · oldest 700-800 years16
San Francisco8 trees · oldest 145 years17Wilmington, Delaware8 trees18
Sequoia National Park7 trees · oldest 3,200 years19Hawaii6 trees20Hilo6 trees · oldest 206 years21
Kauai6 trees · oldest 140 years22
San Diego6 trees · oldest 130 years23Salt Lake City5 trees24
Yosemite National Park5 trees · oldest 2,995 years25Baltimore4 trees · oldest 350-380 years26Boise4 trees · oldest 114 years27Fort Lauderdale4 trees28Gettysburg4 trees · oldest 200 years29Kansas City4 trees · oldest 70 years30Maui4 trees · oldest 153 years31Minneapolis4 trees · oldest 300 years32
Olympic National Park4 trees · oldest 1,000 years33
Philadelphia4 trees · oldest 240 years34Pittsburgh4 trees35
San Antonio4 trees · oldest 200 years36
Charleston3 trees · oldest 900-1,000 years37
Kings Canyon National Park3 trees · oldest 2,000 years38
Monterey3 trees · oldest 275 years39
Savannah3 trees · oldest 300-450 years40
Guerneville2 trees · oldest 1,400 years41Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest1 tree42
Athens, Georgia1 tree · oldest 80 years43
Brunswick, Georgia1 tree · oldest 900 years44Chadds Ford1 tree · oldest 400 years45
Chapel Hill, North Carolina1 tree · oldest 300-375 years46
Columbia, Missouri1 tree · oldest 350-400 years47Coos Bay1 tree · oldest 450 years48
Fish Lake, Utah1 tree · oldest thousands of years49Gonzales, Texas1 tree50
Hampton, Virginia1 tree · oldest 200-300 years51Indianapolis1 tree · oldest 300-400 years52Lebec1 tree · oldest several hundred years53Logan, Ohio1 tree · oldest 600 years54
Martinsville, New Jersey1 tree · oldest 200 years55
Oklahoma City1 tree · oldest 100 years56Palo Alto1 tree · oldest 1,085 years57Princeton, New Jersey1 tree · oldest ~30 years58
Simsbury1 tree · oldest 200 years59
Sunderland, Massachusetts1 tree · oldest ~380 years60
Tillamook1 tree · oldest 250-300 years61Tulsa1 tree · oldest 190 years62Wye Mills, Maryland1 tree · oldest ~20 years
Portland33 trees · oldest 300 years2New York27 trees · oldest 350-450 years3Oahu21 trees · oldest 175 years4Fort Worth18 trees · oldest 235 years5Chicago16 trees · oldest 300-375 years6Seattle16 trees · oldest 600 years7Washington DC16 trees · oldest 330 years8Boston13 trees · oldest 390 years9Spokane13 trees · oldest 400 years10Dallas12 trees · oldest 250 years11Houston11 trees · oldest 400 years12Las Vegas11 trees13Los Angeles11 trees · oldest 200 years14Austin10 trees · oldest 500-600 years15New Orleans8 trees · oldest 700-800 years16San Francisco8 trees · oldest 145 years17Wilmington, Delaware8 trees18Sequoia National Park7 trees · oldest 3,200 years19Hawaii6 trees20Hilo6 trees · oldest 206 years21Kauai6 trees · oldest 140 years22San Diego6 trees · oldest 130 years23Salt Lake City5 trees24Yosemite National Park5 trees · oldest 2,995 years25Baltimore4 trees · oldest 350-380 years26Boise4 trees · oldest 114 years27Fort Lauderdale4 trees28Gettysburg4 trees · oldest 200 years29Kansas City4 trees · oldest 70 years30Maui4 trees · oldest 153 years31Minneapolis4 trees · oldest 300 years32Olympic National Park4 trees · oldest 1,000 years33Philadelphia4 trees · oldest 240 years34Pittsburgh4 trees35San Antonio4 trees · oldest 200 years36Charleston3 trees · oldest 900-1,000 years37Kings Canyon National Park3 trees · oldest 2,000 years38Monterey3 trees · oldest 275 years39Savannah3 trees · oldest 300-450 years40Guerneville2 trees · oldest 1,400 years41Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest1 tree42Athens, Georgia1 tree · oldest 80 years43Brunswick, Georgia1 tree · oldest 900 years44Chadds Ford1 tree · oldest 400 years45Chapel Hill, North Carolina1 tree · oldest 300-375 years46Columbia, Missouri1 tree · oldest 350-400 years47Coos Bay1 tree · oldest 450 years48Fish Lake, Utah1 tree · oldest thousands of years49Gonzales, Texas1 tree50Hampton, Virginia1 tree · oldest 200-300 years51Indianapolis1 tree · oldest 300-400 years52Lebec1 tree · oldest several hundred years53Logan, Ohio1 tree · oldest 600 years54Martinsville, New Jersey1 tree · oldest 200 years55Oklahoma City1 tree · oldest 100 years56Palo Alto1 tree · oldest 1,085 years57Princeton, New Jersey1 tree · oldest ~30 years58Simsbury1 tree · oldest 200 years59Sunderland, Massachusetts1 tree · oldest ~380 years60Tillamook1 tree · oldest 250-300 years61Tulsa1 tree · oldest 190 years62Wye Mills, Maryland1 tree · oldest ~20 years167 species grow in the United States
Oaks Southern Live Oak 28 · Bur Oak 13 · Texas Live Oak 11 · White Oak 11 · Northern Red Oak 5 · Oak 4 · Post Oak 3 · Chestnut Oak 2 · Oregon White Oak 2 · Pin Oak 2 · Texas Red Oak 2 · Willow Oak 2 · Bigelow Oak 1 · Coast Live Oak 1 · Cork Oak 1 · Durand Oak 1 · Mexican White Oak 1 · Post Oak or Bur Oak 1 · Scarlet Oak 1 · Shumard Oak 1 · Swamp White Oak 1 · Valley Oak 1
Beeches Copper Beech 3 · American Beech 1 · European Beech 1 · Rivers Purple Beech 1
Elms and zelkovas American Elm 8 · English Elm 7 · Camperdown Elm 3 · Caucasian Elm 1 · Dutch Elm 1 · Field Elm 1 · Saw-leaf Zelkova 1 · Winged Elm 1 · Wych Elm 1
Planes London Plane 7 · American Sycamore 6 · California Sycamore 1 · Mexican Sycamore 1
Limes American Basswood 3 · Hungarian Linden 1 · Large-leaved Lime 1 · Linden 1 · Manchurian Linden 1 · Small-leaved Lime 1
Maples Paperbark Maple 2 · Box Elder 1 · Miyabe Maple 1 · Silver Maple 1 · Sugar Maple 1 · Sycamore 1
Chestnuts, walnuts and hazels Pecan 7 · Horse Chestnut 3 · Black Walnut 2 · Caucasian Wingnut 2 · Double Flowered Horsechestnut 1 · Ohio Buckeye 1 · Red Horse Chestnut 1
Figs and mulberries Indian Banyan 10 · Moreton Bay Fig 8 · Indian Laurel Fig 2 · Bodhi Tree 1 · Weeping Mulberry 1 · White Mulberry 1
Conifers Giant Sequoia 19 · Douglas Fir 8 · Coast Redwood 6 · Dawn Redwood 5 · Bald Cypress 3 · Monterey Cypress 3 · Sitka Spruce 3 · Cedar of Lebanon 2 · Ginkgo 2 · Queensland Kauri 2 · Western Red Cedar 2 · Austrian Pine 1 · Bigcone Douglas Fir 1 · Bunya Pine 1 · Chir Pine 1 · European Yew 1 · Grand Fir 1 · Great Basin Bristlecone Pine 1 · Guadalupe Island Cypress 1 · Himalayan Cedar 1 · Hinoki Cypress 1 · Incense Cedar 1 · Japanese Black Pine 1 · Japanese Red Pine 1 · Japanese White Pine 1 · Kauri 1 · Lacebark Pine 1 · Mexican Pinyon Pine 1 · Norway Spruce 1 · Red Pine 1
Palms Canary Island Date Palm 2 · California Fan Palm 1
Fruit and blossom Apple 2 · Yoshino Cherry 2 · Apricot 1 · Callery Pear 1 · European Pear 1
Southern hemisphere Ohi'a Lehua 2 · Coolibah 1 · Kapok 1 · Lemon-scented Gum 1 · Pohutukawa 1 · Swamp Mahogany 1 · Tipu Tree 1
More broadleaf trees Tulip Tree 7 · Rain Tree 5 · Baobab 4 · Common Hackberry 4 · Eastern Hemlock 3 · Katsura 3 · Lombardy Poplar 3 · Cannon Ball Tree 2 · Kopiko 'ula 2 · Sassafras 2 · Southern Magnolia 2 · Amur Cork Tree 1 · Australian Tea Tree 1 · Bay Laurel 1 · Black Olive 1 · Black Tupelo 1 · Breadnut 1 · Buddhist Pine 1 · Catalpa 1 · Chaulmoogra Tree 1 · Chittamwood 1 · Cockspur Hawthorn 1 · Coconut Palm 1 · Cucumber Tree Magnolia 1 · Desert Willow 1 · Divi-Divi 1 · Earpod Tree 1 · Elm 1 · False Kamani 1 · Flowering Ash 1 · Franklin Tree 1 · Green Ash 1 · Hame 1 · Hardy Rubber Tree 1 · Honey Locust 1 · Honey Mesquite 1 · Japanese Pagoda Tree 1 · Jujube 1 · Kansas Hawthorn 1 · Kentucky Coffeetree 1 · Kiawe 1 · Koa 1 · Lavalle Hawthorn 1 · Loulu Palm 1 · Northern Catalpa 1 · Pink Bombax 1 · Pink Trumpet Tree 1 · Quaking Aspen 1 · Quipo 1 · Rainbow Shower Tree 1 · Sandbox Tree 1 · Shiny Xylosma 1 · Sissoo Tree 1 · Skunk Tree / Java Olive 1 · Texas Ash 1 · Texas Mountain Laurel 1 · Texas Olive 1 · White Willow 1 · Yaupon Holly 1
The 10 oldest trees we map in the United States
Roughly 2,745 to 3,245 years old.
Photo: Dietmar Rabich (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Roughly 2,200 to 3,200 years old.
Photo: Eric Kilby from Somerville, MA, USA (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Roughly 2,000 to 2,500 years old.
Roughly 1,500 to 1,800 years old.
Photo: Marty Aligata (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Roughly 1,200 to 1,600 years old.
Photo: Sergei Mutovkin (CC BY 2.0)
Roughly 1,100 to 1,500 years old.
Roughly 1,000 to 1,500 years old.
Photo: Marrstree (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Roughly 1,000 to 1,100 years old.
Roughly 900 to 1,000 years old.
Trees from the United States also appear in Autumn Worth the Trip · The Autumn Harvest · The Trees the World Has Written About. See every city on the map, or open the map to find what is near you.