Trees have widely varying lifespans depending on their species, environment, and care. Generally, trees can live anywhere from less than 100 years to several thousand years
. Examples of tree lifespans by species:
- Shorter-lived trees like palms live around 30 to 50 years
- Common backyard trees such as gray birch live about 50 years, persimmon about 60 years, black willow 75 years, southern magnolia 80 years, sassafras 100 years, and red maple up to 130 years
- Longer-lived trees include white pine (200 years), white oak and American beech (up to 300 years)
- Some species can live for several centuries or more, such as Alaska red cedar (up to 3,500 years) and giant sequoias (over 3,000 years)
The longest-living tree species:
- The Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) holds the record for the oldest known individual tree, with some specimens over 5,000 years old
- These trees survive so long due to slow growth creating dense wood resistant to insects, fungi, rot, and erosion, as well as their harsh growing conditions
In summary, tree lifespans range from a few decades for fast-growing species to thousands of years for ancient conifers like the bristlecone pine, making trees some of the longest-living organisms on Earth
