The History Trees

A collection of the most remarkable trees from around the world, many of which have witnessed key moments in history or reached a scale or age that have allowed them to become history themselves.

Meet 'Methuselah’, a bristlecone pine in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, is believed to be 4,900 years old, whilst its distant neighbour Old Tjikko in Sweden nears it’s 10,000 year birthday. Others have inspired great events, such as the Isaac Newton apple tree in Woolhope, Lincolnshire, where the scientist observed the famous apple falling from a tree (which still stands in the family garden).

Other flora has withstood historic events such as in Japan, where the Hibaku jumoku still grows, the survivor tree from the Hiroshima bombing. In the American Civil War, the inept Federal General Ambrose Burnside attempted to cross the Antietam Creek; next to the bridge which crosses over it is the Burnside’s Bridge Sycamore that was caught in the heavy crossfire of the battle.

There are trees which have been planted to become history themselves or were caught up in its events, such as the Suffrage Oak planted in Glasgow in 1918, the Tolpuddle Sycamore associated with the Tolpuddle Martyrs in Dorset, or the Oklahoma City Survivor Tree.

Many continue to inspire our world today including the long avenue of beech trees in Northern Ireland known as the Dark Hedges, which Game of Thrones fans will recognise as the road to Kings Landing, or Robin Hood’s oak in the Sherwood Forest. Travel into the pages of fantasy when visiting the J. R. R. Tolkien trees in Avebury, from which he based his tree creatures, the Ents, from The Lord of the Rings.

The History Trees is the ultimate collection of the most historic trees on the planet. Rest a while beside the oldest trunks and witness the enthralling stories nestled within the branches of these gentle giants.

About the author

Colin Salter is a versatile writer with the enviable quality of incorporating a host of detail into elegant prose. He is the lead author in the Remarkable travel series and the award-winning 100 series – so, along with 100 Posters, 100 Symbols, 100 Novels etc, he has also penned Remarkable Treks, Remarkable Bike Rides and Remarkable Road Trips.