old plants
- To: m*@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: old plants
- From: T* C*
- Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2000 19:45:13 -0700
The discussion about plant longevity reminded me of an article I once read
in 'Plants & Gardens',
a most worthwhile publication from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I tend to
hang on to good garden literature and I found the article, by Hazel and Don
Smith in the August 1971 issue, about a colony of Gaylussacia brachycera
(box huckleberry) in Pennsylvania that started from a seedling over 12,000
years ago and "has a claim to being the oldest living thing in the world",
though none of the current wood is very old. I also recall reading
something about an ancient ring of creosote bush in the American southwest.
--- Tom Chakas
--- rebartrees@earthlink.net
--- www.home.earthlink.net/~rebartrees/
