Old Tjikko, Ancient spruce tree in Fulufjället National Park, Sweden.
Old Tjikko is a Norway spruce located in Fulufjället National Park within Älvdalen Municipality in central Sweden. The tree rises roughly 5 meters high on a mountain summit and displays multiple trunks shaped by wind and cold conditions.
Carbon dating of the root system revealed an age of 9,550 years, making this organism a living witness to the period following the last ice age. The discovery in 2004 transformed understanding of how long individual trees can survive under extreme conditions.
Professor Leif Kullman from Umeå University discovered this spruce during his research and named it after his deceased companion dog, Tjikko. Visitors come here to see the oldest documented spruce in the world and experience the connection between scientific discovery and personal memory.
Access is available only through guided tours that must be booked at least one day ahead with the national park administration. Tours run during July and August on select weekdays and protect the tree from damage caused by too many visitors.
The spruce survived thousands of years as a low shrub formation called krummholz before developing into its current tree form due to climate changes. This adaptability shows how plants can respond to shifting environmental conditions without abandoning their root system.
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