Large, Old, Colorful, Bizarre: The World's Most Famous Trees

The lifespan of certain trees is almost unimaginable to humans. Some have been thriving for thousands of years, unaffected by natural and human-made threats.

Trees are also a key part of travel plans for nature-loving tourists. To admire the oldest, largest, quirkiest, or most beautiful trees, visitors often travel long distances. Travel bettercities.nets introduce a selection of trees that leave many visitors in awe.

Perhaps the most beautiful tree in the world isn't on land. It grows in the middle of a lake - Lake Wanaka on New Zealand's South Island.

The Crack Willow probably sprouted from an old fence post. It leans completely to one side, has only a few branches, and is quite small. But against the picturesque backdrop of the Southern Alps, the 'Crack Willow Tree' looks like a naturally crafted sculpture, especially when the gently lit Southern Alps reflect in the water at sunset.

Photos on social media have inadvertently brought this willow to global fame in recent years. The willow is now one of New Zealand's most photographed subjects, and many tourists plan their visit to the tree in advance of their New Zealand tours.

However, the hype is becoming dangerous for the fragile plant. There are repeated reports of visitors climbing the slender tree and breaking branches.

When this tree sprouted from the ground, most people were still using stone tools.

It seems unimaginable, but experts are sure: This spruce is at least 9,550 years old, making it Europe's oldest known 'clone tree'. The plant is located in Fulufjället National Park in the Swedish province of Dalarna, a few kilometers from the Norwegian border.

The trunk of the five-meter-tall spruce is 'only' a few hundred years old - like many of its predecessors over the millennia, it will soon die off.

But the tree itself continues to exist by continuously regenerating itself, for example, through branches taking root in the ground or new trunks developing from the root system. Its discoverer, researcher Leif Kullmann, named this survivor after his dog, 'Old Tjikko'.

There is no marked trail to the senior spruce to protect the ancient plant from hordes of visitors. However, the national park offers guided tours (about 24 Euro per person). The park is worth a visit anyway: It is home to golden eagles, bears, wolves, arctic foxes, lemmings, moose, and a 93-meter waterfall.

The image went viral: an argan tree in Morocco with goats climbing around it. How the animals got up there and why they live in a tree was long unclear.

By now, British photographer Aaron Gekoski claims to have solved the mystery. He says farmers bring in goats from the surrounding area and place them in the tree to attract tourists to the region. 'They bring the goats home late in the afternoon, only to return them to the trees at sunrise,' says Gekoski.

The starving animals participate in the climbing show only because the trees are rich in argan nuts. Even so, the goats' long exposure to the blazing sun is harmful.

The manipulation fundamentally debunks the story of 'goat trees'. However, it doesn't change the surprising fact that Moroccan goats are true climbing experts.

The Sequoia National Park in California is world-famous for its sequoia trees. These giants grow up to 80 meters tall and 11 meters in diameter. The largest tree in the park is named 'General Sherman' - trapper James Wolverton Tharp named it after a general from the Civil War.

This giant is about 2,000 years old and stands around 84 meters tall. Walking around the trunk would cover a distance of 31 meters.

Its most unique feature: The immense volume of the trunk (about 1,500 cubic meters) makes 'General Sherman' the largest single living organism in the world.

The Sequoia National Park, also called 'Land of the Giants', is located in central California and is visited by around two million guests annually. Admission costs $35 per vehicle (about 33 Euro) for everyone onboard.

The 'Árbol del Tule' in Mexico is also considered one of the largest living organisms in the world. With a trunk diameter of 14 meters, this Mexican swamp cypress holds the world record as the thickest tree.

The tree's home, Santa María del Tule, is only about ten kilometers from Oaxaca de Juárez, the capital of the same-named state.

The romantic architecture of Oaxaca makes the city one of the most popular travel destinations for Mexicans and tourists from all over the world. And on most travelers' itineraries in Oaxaca, a trip to the Árbol del Tule is a must.

The dimensions of this 1,400 to 1,600-year-old tree are impressive. The 41-meter tall specimen reportedly weighs 636 tons and has a trunk circumference of 46 meters. With a bit of imagination, the knobby trunk's outgrowths resemble animal figures, which is why the 'Árbol del Tule' is also known as the 'Tree of Life'.

The sight is unique in the world: The mystical temples of Angkor in Cambodia are overgrown by gigantic jungle trees. The weight of strangler figs up to 60 meters tall and their powerful aerial roots seem to almost crush the ancient temple walls.

To protect the ancient 12th- and 13th-century structures, most roots and trees have been cut down. However, some temples are so heavily intertwined with the trees that one would have to tear down the sandstone structures to tackle the trees.

For this reason, the nearly mystical charm of the tree overgrowth remains preserved, for instance, in the Ta Prohm or Preah Khan temples.

The morbid scenery is part of the UNESCO World Heritage and attracts around four million tourists to Angkor each year.

About 80,000 years ago, around the time of the Neanderthals, a quaking aspen colony emerged in what is now the state of Utah. Today, the so-called 'Pando Tree' is considered the world's oldest organism.

The colony is located at Fishlake, about 50 kilometers southeast of Richfield, and consists of approximately 47,000 stems connected by a root system. Like Sweden's 'Old Tjikko' spruce, the individual trees do not live beyond 120 years. However, the root system persists, continually generating new stems.

The weight of the 'Pando Tree' is estimated at 6,000 tons - a world record!

The sight of the famous juniper forest on the Canary Island of El Hierro is reminiscent of artworks by Spanish painter Salvador Dalí. Continuous downdraft winds have shaped these trees into bizarre forms over centuries, making them a symbol of the island.

The branches of the 'Sabinas' appear to melt at first glance, and the twisted trunks seem to grow upside down into the ground. The sight of the 'Sabinas' is especially mystical in the fog.

The western part of the volcanic island was once covered by large juniper forests. However, increasing deforestation for building materials, forest fires, and agriculture have nearly eradicated these forests. All that remains are the trees in the El Sabinar nature reserve.

A hiking trail leads to the juniper grove, starting near the chapel Santuario Nuestra Señora de los Reyes.

Sometimes green, sometimes yellow, sometimes red, sometimes violet: The 'Rainbow Trees' in Southeast Asia have vividly colorful trunks!

This fascinating eucalyptus species peels its bark uniquely, rather than continuously like other trees. Cracks form in the bark, the outermost layer, revealing the inner, light-green bark. Transforming to the usual bark brown, the bark undergoes several color changes. Thus, the trunk becomes a canvas for a vibrant 'color watercolor'.

The Rainbow Eucalyptus grows up to 60 meters tall and is found in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.

Where the oldest tree in Germany stands is a matter of debate. The problem: To determine the age accurately, the trees would need to be felled. However, it is undisputed where Germany's tallest tree is located: in the Black Forest.

In the Mühlwald forest in Freiburg's Günterstal district stands 'Waldtraud', a Douglas fir over 100 years old. Its height of almost 67 meters was determined by a survey team from the University of Karlsruhe's geodesy institute. It is officially confirmed: 'Waldtraut' is Germany's tallest tree.

Those who wish to visit this beautiful Douglas fir can best reach it via a hike on the Mühlradweg trail from Freiburg-Günterstal.

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