Árbol del Tule, Montezuma cypress tree in Santa María del Tule, Mexico.
Árbol del Tule is a Montezuma cypress in Santa María del Tule, Mexico. Its trunk measures 11.62 meters in diameter and reaches a height of 35.4 meters, making it the tree with the largest trunk diameter worldwide.
DNA analysis has confirmed that this 1,500-year-old cypress is a single living organism. Researchers initially believed it might be several trees merged together.
The Zapotec people call this tree Ahuehuete, which translates as Old Man of Water in Nahuatl. Every second Monday of October, locals celebrate its existence with a special festival.
Travelers can reach the tree by taking Highway 190 east from Oaxaca city or joining daily tour buses that stop at the gated churchyard. Access is available year-round, though early morning hours tend to be less crowded.
The trunk's bark forms natural patterns that create shapes resembling different animals, including lions, jaguars, and elephants. Visitors often search for these figures in the wood surface and point them out to each other.
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