there are some trees that look nothing like anything you've seen before from the oldest trees on the planet to trees that bleed and massive trees that look alien today I'm counting down the top 15 most unbelievably cool trees ever found number 15 the Tibetan cherry tree while tipet is known for its incredible mountains what perhaps doesn't get enough coverage are its fantastic forests one species within them is the Tibetan cherry tree now while its leaves are not all that colorful it more than makes up for this with its incredible bark more specifically it's translucent reddish
brown and when in the sun it looks very similar to shined bronze or copper this effect becomes magnified in late April when the trees temporarily Bloom and the white flowers that contrast starkly with the darker bark of the tree show therefore I think you'd agree the Tibetan cherry tree is kind of a sight to behold number 14 the jakaranda tree endemic to South and Central America the jacarandas tree is famous for its attractive and long- Lasting Vivid colored flowers they've now been transported to a variety of hot foreign climates such as the Southern United States
southern Europe South Africa and Australia and when in full bloom they look absolutely incredible best of all they can live for up to 2 years and so long as they're not hit by Frost they often reach that ripe old age yet given the fact that the jacarandas tree is considered to be a vulnerable species and its native range it is probably for the best that they've been exported abroad number 13 the rainbow eucalyptus now while the eucalyptus trees are famous for their association with Australian Cala Bears the rainbow eucalyptus is not found on this island
country as the only eucalyptus tree that's indigenous to the Northern Hemisphere it is native to the tropical forests of the Philippines New Guinea and Indonesia while its maximum height of 75 m is pretty impressive it's claim to fame is its striped multicolored bark which appears in streaks of pale green red orange gray and purplish Brown Beyond being pretty this rainbow colored tree is ironically enough often used to make white paper thus making the rainbow eucalyptus both beautiful and economically productive number 12 the lady Smith Roto dendrin hailing from the town of Lady Smith on Canada's
Vancouver Island the lady Smith Roto dendrin is technically a shrub however its treel likee appearance size and color gives it a well-deserved spot on this list it is believed to be about 120 to 125 years old and it went viral in 2017 due to it being more than 9 M tall 8 m wide and when in full bloom in May filled with more than 4,000 pink blossoms however on December 20th of 2018 tragedy struck when a devastating winter storm severely damaged two of its three stalks this forced botanist to begin restoration efforts and to date
it is unclear whether or not their efforts were successful number 11 the deadite tree while they may not bear leaves or fruit deadite trees look incredible in a very unique way coming from part of the Namib Desert known as the dead vly or dead Marsh in English the area was at one time very alive after all every 5 to 10 years a river would divert water into the area promoting the tree growth however 900 years ago this all stopped when sand dunes cut off the river causing all the trees in the marsh to dry up
and die however because the area is so dry the 900-year-old trees have not been able to rot and as a result they still sit as scorched black reminders of what used to be a lush Forest number 10 the Joshua Tree named after the biblical figure Joshua by 19th century Mormon settlers this species is found throughout the Mojave Desert in the southwestern United States now why they got their name isn't exactly clear some believe that they were named in a nod to Joshua outstretching his arms in prayer others believe that the trees and their blade-like leaves
symbolize the soldiers of Joshua's Army yet despite the unclear origins of the name what is clear is that these trees are unique in a few ways first and foremost despite looking a lot like trees they're actually succulents this is a type of plant that stores water in thick and fleshy appendages in the same way that a cactus would these water-filled plants can grow to huge sizes with some growing to as much as 21 m in height making them the tallest plants in the Mojave Desert by a large margin Joshua trees also stand apart for their
somewhat zany yet beautiful appearance as they've got fuzzy looking bark with long branches that have little clusters of leaves at their end and while this makes these trees look like something out of a Dr Seuss book it truly does look incredible it's also worth mentioning that prior to the 20th century Native Americans often used parts of the Joshua tree for food and fiber more specifically Leaf fibers were occasionally used to bind and manufacture sandals and root sheaths were often woven into basket in terms of the food the Joshua Tree's fruits were baked or boiled then
eaten while seeds were Ground into flour alongside the seeds of other plant species to create Cakes as such the Joshua tree stands apart for being both resourceful and beautiful number nine Cannonball tree found in the tropical forests of Central and South America The Cannonball tree is a soft wooded relative of the Brazil nut family and grows to Heights of up to 25 M making it pretty large however Beyond its size what really sets it apart from many other trees is the fact that its seeds and flowers don't grow out from its branches but from its
trunk these seeds consist of hard brown-like shells that look a little bit like non-hairy coconuts and once they fall they generally crack open and reveal a fruit with as many as 500 seeds inside these seeds are then dispersed by scavengers who eat the fruits and while they are edible and safe for humans to eat the fruit's bad smell cause most to avoid it in any case it is because because of this tree's Beauty and form that many have been grown in front of Hindu temples while not native to South Asia many Hindus believe that the
canall trees hooded flowers look like the Naga which are a race of half Serpent and half human beings from Hindu theology the tree also stands apart for non-religious or aesthetic reasons as part of the plant has been used in traditional medicine to treat hypertension tumors pain and inflammation the common cold stomach aches skin conditions and even malaria and this tree may also have a future in the clothing industry you see the fruit and flowers are known to contain a specific chemical compound that have the same blue dye compounds that are found in the indigo plant
and studies seem to indicate that it could be used as a natural diey for fibers so when you consider the species medicinal economic and spiritual uses it is fair to say that the cannibal tree can do it all number eight the manal tree while the mansion tree is pretty cool I got a spot on this list for the wrong reasons that's because this tree is barnun considered to be the most dangerous tree on the planet native to sandy beaches across the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico these trees look relatively harmless however the reality is
is that every single part of this tree is able to inflict massive amounts of pain and suffering first and foremost their fruits are absolutely Sinister while the fruit is reportedly Pleasant and Sweet at First those who eat them get a strange peppery feeling in their mouth this slowly progresses to the point point where you can't swallow solid food and in time you develop excruciating throat pain for hours on end if you accidentally touch the tree sap things go from bad to worse not only is it extremely painful but if it comes in contact with your
skin or eyes it can burn right through and cause permanent scarring and blindness beyond the fruit in the sap injuries have also been reported by those who have inhaled smoke from its burned wood touched parts of its trunk or believe it or not have just stood close to one on a windy day so it should come as no surprise that the mensional tree holds the Guinness World Record for being the world's most dangerous tree yet I should assure you that if you're careful you can likely avoid a brush with brish injuries this is just because
in many areas locals have begun to notice the dangers of these trees and have acted proactively by painting red xes or nailing Waring signs to these trees in order to warn potential victims despite their toxicity their wood is quite useful for the production of furniture however it's got to be cut and left to dry in the Sun as this kills the strength of the sap and allows the wood to be worked with yet all the pros aside Mansion ale trees are truly dangerous so I suggest keeping your guard up next time you're on a tropical
vacation moving on to number seven the Redwoods I love redwoods you know when it comes to height no tree can grow quite as tall as one they're found on the west coast of California and British Columbia they can easily grow to Heights of over 100 MERS and they've got widths of up to 7 m and can produce as much as 725,000 kg of wood from a single tree Tree in fact at 115 M tall a redwood named Hyperion is the world's tallest tree making this species a true Master Class of a tree's growing potential now
if that wasn't cool enough the species is also nearly Immortal they can live for up to 2,000 years without withering this longevity thanks to the trees high amounts of tannins contained within the tree's bark these tannins help increase resistance to pests and diseases and help ward off insects like termites however despite the hardiness they do rely on some pretty specific environmental conditions to remain in Tip-Top shape more specifically they thrive in the moderate Coastal climates that have heavy and frequent fogs coming from the coast sometimes rainfall is generated by the Redwoods themselves as they can
often create rain via a process where they trap fog and makes clouds within their branches yet while these conditions may be pretty specific when everything is in line they are by and large one of the fastest Growers and tallest showers in the natural world it is also worth noting that redwoods were part of an interesting biological Journey you see when the British made it to the West Coast they were impressed by redwoods and the decision was made to ship seeds and seedlings from the US to England in fact they were brought over in such high
numbers that there are now about 500,000 in Britain compared to only 880,000 in California however unlike their American counterparts the British redwoods are less than 150 years old meaning that at their largest they're only about 40 m tall however in time they will eventually catch up with those on the American and Canadian West Coast additionally despite being a foreign species it appears that the Redwood is ecologically benign meaning that they're not disrupting the existing local ecosystem in any significant way so it's fair to say that the presence of redwoods in England is generally a good
thing number six Al milenario in recent years there's been some evidence to suggest that it's not methusa but aler molinario that may just be the world's oldest tree located in the coastal mountains of Chile aler costero national park it is a massive tree coming in its 60 M tall and sporting a 4 M wide trunk covered with moss and lyans it's believed that this Patagonian Cyprus is mostly dead according to Jonathan barich of the austral University of Chile only 28% of the tree is actually alive most of which is in The Roots so when people
walk across the nearby soil they're actively damaging the last remains of the living parts of the tree Mr barichivich was also behind an initial attempt to date the tree he's got a special connection to it after all his grandfather who was a park ranger discovered it about 50 years ago this has made it into an object of Fascination for him and in an attempt to learn more about it he recruited his colleague Antonio Lara to determine its age now typically a tree's age is going to be found using a technique known as dendrochronology also known
as a tree ring dating it's the scientific method of dating tree rings to the exact year they were formed according to Dr Edward cook of Columbia University tree ring dating is the golden standard because the only way to truly determine the age of a tree is by this method counting the Rings and that requires all rings to be present and accounted for this means that an inability to do this puts any age record into question in 2020 barich and Lara decided to put their fears aside and core the tree with an increment Bor this is
a t-shaped drill that scientists use to excise narrow cylinders of wood Without Really harming the tree and after getting partway through the plug of the wood yielded roughly 2400 tightly spaced growth rings however this Bor wasn't able to reach the tree's Center and as a result barich turned to statistical modeling to determine the full age this method yielded an overall age estimate of 5,484 years old with an 80% chance that the tree has lived from more than 5,000 years if this is in fact true Al say milenario may just be the world's oldest tree however
whether or not this is the case is definitely Up For Debate number five the cotra Dragon Blood tree now when you think of vacation spots that are incredible Yemen is probably not a place that comes to mind after all not only is this Middle Eastern nation pretty small but it's currently in the grips of a brutal Civil War this makes travel here near impossible however if you take the boat off the mainland and travel to the island of cotra you can see one of the most beautiful tree species on the planet planet known as the
dragon's blood tree it's not found anywhere else on planet Earth it's known for its upturned densely packed crown that looks pretty similar to an umbrella these trees can live for upwards of 600 years and while they look incredible one of the most interesting features is the dark red resin better known as dragon's blood this resin is famous for having an incredible medicinal property as it's considered to be a cure all for ailments such as fevers Cuts diarrhea ulcers and dissenter however despite their Beauty and utility in recent years they' have not been appreciated by local
populations this is because the island of cotra is starting to create a large industrial and tourism sector this has caused many of these trees to be chopped down in order to make way for new developments and this has been made worse by the fact that the land these trees IR on is often slow to regenerate and as a result increased cattle grazing across the island has made it difficult for young trees to take root on a macro level global warming has contributed to extreme and unpredictable weather systems bringing about devastating winds and flooding here at
times this has also contributed to natural disasters after all in 2015 two Cyclones hit the island in one week wiping out about 30% of sra's trees in the process it's also worth mentioning that to date there is conflicting information online as to whether or not cotra is safe to visit according to reports the island is slowly being taken over by the UAE and is currently occupied by Pro UAE factions in the Civil War as a result it is for the time being relatively safe welcoming thousands of visitors at a time however at various times it's
been an epicenter for fighting so I would suggest following your country's travel advisories and on my end I wouldn't suggest visiting the island until the yeni Civil War comes to an end number four Methuselah so I mentioned Methuselah earlier and while there are plenty of old trees on our planet the one that does hold the title right now for being the world's oldest is the one and only Methuselah named after the biblical figure who supposedly lived for 969 years this nickname is a bit of a misnomer that's because this special tree actually outlived him by
all accounts it's been kicking around for an astounding 4854 years for reference this makes Methuselah far older than the ancient Romans and ancient Greeks and even makes it older than the ancient Egyptian Pyramids this type of species is known as an extremophile it means that it can withstand extremely cold temperatures dry soils high winds and short growing Seasons without much difficulty of course this does come with a flip side that is it grows extremely slowly and it isn't the largest or tallest tree however despite its lack of good looks after all it has no bark
no foliage and really doesn't look alive I'd say that its other features truly make it one of the most incredible trees on the planet the second factor is related to its location it's located in the White Mountains of Ino County in eastern California now this area is a national forest and is known as The Forest of the Ancients due to the large quantities of other old trees in the area while common wisdom suggests that a tree would grow better in a good climate with lots of shelter and access to nutrients Methuselah lives in a harsh
environment the soil's patchy winds are Fierce and the temperatur is Cold Yet despite all this it's perfectly adapted to this semiarid Boreal climate yet this still leaves us with an important question how was Methuselah discovered well The Story Goes that in 1957 two men by the name of Edmund shurman and Tom Harland who were conducting research in the area when they happened upon Methuselah they then took samples and soon pinpointed its germination date to 2832 BC while this was impressive at that time it wasn't the oldest bristle cone Pine that title belonged to Prometheus who
was about 59 years older than Methuselah however in mysterious circumstances a graduate student accidentally cut Prometheus down in 1964 giving Methuselah the world record well in any case if you want to visit you'll have to travel up into the White Mountains to an elevation of about 3,300 m above C level and as a result it's recommended to give yourself a lot of time on your visit after all thanks to the elevation it is normal for people to feel dizzy and out of breath due to this high altitude number three the Bonsai when it comes to
the world of Tree Art the Bonsai reign supreme now to be clear Bonsai are not a type of tree rather it's the Japanese art of growing and training miniature trees to grow in certain ways and shapes the practice can trace its Origins all the way back to the 7th Century it was during this time period that both Japanese and Chinese gardeners began to create what has become known as potted scenery or pening using miniature trees in the 12th century Japanese Crafts People and monks created their own National form of Tree Art known as Bonsai while
pinging often involves multiple trees in the creation of a scene Bonsai generally involves just one and in all it's become more well-known and popular of the two Styles today the world Bonsai Market has grown to a staggering AG .5 billion and to date the most expensive tree sold in 2017 for a whopping $1.3 million in a private sale but it is possible to buy very cheap variations of the tree for about $20 in garden centers around the world and the very best specimens though can fetch a pretty penny it's also worth mentioning that in order
to have a bonsai reach its maximum potential it's got to be cared for in a very systematic way first and foremost you need to understand the traditional ways in which bonss side trees grow with popular growth patterns including the formal upright informal upright Cascade and Windswept designs then you've got to choose the right tree for your design some of the most popular include junipers Ficus and Chinese Elms once all this is sorted you got to Perfect The Art of watering fertilizing and pruning also while understanding the importance of repotting and root pruning to maintain a
healthy root system there's also side considerations for example trees have a front and a back usually Bonsai involves choosing one side side so you have more control over the visual composition so it should come as a little surprise that certain ponai Growers have been at it for centuries perfecting the craft and figuring out how to grow the most perfect Bonsai in fact there are certain trees that have been a work in progress for hundreds of years passing down from generation to generation it's these specimens that are perfect examples of the intricacy and the beauty of
bonsai craftsmanship and that periodically they go for hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollar number two old Cho while old Cho may be small it's pretty Fierce that's because this tiny 5 m Tall Tree is considered to be the oldest tree on the planet first identified in Sweden in a national park in 2008 Old Chico is a Norway thin Spruce that stands alone and isolated while its current iteration is likely only a few hundred years old old Chico has a special talent it's a clonal tree this means that whenever the top stem of the
tree dies the ancient root system below creates a new one making it extremely difficult to truly bring down this weathered old tree while it is difficult to know exactly how old the root system is carbon dating was able to get its age down to around 9500 years old and it began growing in the harsh Tundra shortly after the glaciers receded from Scandinavia at the close of the last ice age for reference this was so long ago that humans were only just learning how to plow Fields making its age absolutely incredible it is worth mentioning that
its makeup throws in a few wrenches in Old Chico's claim to be the oldest tree first and foremost it likely spent thousands of years as a shrub only becoming a tree after the climate warmed enough for it to grow into the spindly tree we see it's also worth mentioning that while anyone is free to visit Old Cho we should warn you that at the moment it's not in the best of shape that's because in February of 2023 a mountain guide who had visited the tree reported that an unusually heavy snow had broken off the top
portion of the tree while the damage has left the tree looking rather rough it is good news that it will survive while its upper stem may be damaged the ancient root system underground is still intact and ready to reproduce a new stem when needed now while it is technically possible to go there alone Park guides much prefer bringing people to the tree themselves for the sake of the Environmental Protection and given its age I'd say that those concerns are understandable as a final note it also appears that the tree is new clone on July 1st
of 2024 Stockholm based art stud Studio golden Cabe reported that they completed a special climate controlled exhibit at their new Hospital campus in the city of malma more specifically the installation houses a clone of Old Chico that was used to create small Twigs cut from the top branches these branches were then grafted onto stems of other spruce trees resulting in saplings with DNA identical to that of Old Chico the idea is that this installation will be a living artwork as put by company co-founder Simon golden it's the genetic individual not the tree on the mountain
that's nearly 10,000 years old and a small clone is now planted in the hospital in malma is the same genetic individual in that sense it is the oldest Spruce in the world at the very beginning of its life number one the Aspen named Pando so when it comes to age and size Pando is easily one of the most impressive trees on the world that's because its size makes it the single largest and heaviest organism on the planet you see while most trees are simply a trunk with root Ro the Aspen named Pando functions on an
entirely different level rather than just have one set of roots all of its roots are interconnected to create a giant organism consisting of over 40,000 individual trees this colony of trees was first classified in 1976 by Jerry Kerman and Burton Barnes after some measurements in 1992 it was estimated that it comes in at about 6 million kgs and spans across 43 hectares of land now while the trees that inhabit it come and go the organism itself is thought to be ancient as its underground root system is likely about 16,000 years old so if you want
to visit this incredible tree for yourself you're going to have to venture to the Fremont River Ranger District of the Fish Lake National Forest which is located in South Central Utah and while it's been around for thousands of years you may want to travel there quickly that's because Against All Odds its lifespan may be coming to a close thanks to a combination of new challenges such as drought human development grazing and and fire suppression its life has been put in danger of these one of the largest threats is of all things grazing ever since the
1980s the area in and around P had been eaten up by mule deer elk and domestic cattle in fact in 2017 Paul C Rogers of the Utah State University found that the Pando wasn't growing anymore telling the New York Times that quote If This Were a community of humans it would be as if a whole town of 47,000 had only 85y olds in it where is the next generation end quote as such the Aspen P's Health appears to be in serious decline it is also worth mentioning that in 2024 work was done to figure out
what the Pando sounds like initially the work was done from an artistic standpoint more specifically sound artist Jeff Rice experimentally placed a hydrophone inside a hollow at the base of a branch and threaded it down to the trees Roots he didn't expect to hear much however a faint sound Was Heard and amid a thunderstorm that sound increased turning into an eerie low rumbling Jeff hypothesized that this was the sounds of millions of leaves in the forest vibrating on the tree passing down through the branches down into the Earth this hydrophone also captured the thumps from
tapping on a branch 27 M away now this was pretty incredible because this sound wasn't audible through the air at that distance thus supporting the theory that P's root system is interconnected however this really doesn't explain everything after all there is a reasonable possibility that the sound was actually traveling through the soil yet if further studies can prove that the root system facilitated the sound travel this type of work could be a vast scientific importance this is because this sound could reveal the inner workings of pando's vast hidden hydraulic system in a non-destructive manner this
could in turn teach us way more about this incredible organism and be of use to the scientific Community as a whole thank you to our channel members