Old Tjikko

The tree itself is a modest spruce a few metres high on the exposed Fulufjallet plateau, and nothing about the trunk is ancient - it is thought to be only a few centuries old. What was dated, by Leif Kullman's team using radiocarbon on material under it, is the root system, at around 9,560 years, which would make it a clonal organism that has been regenerating on the same spot since shortly after the ice retreated. Spruce in this position grows as low krummholz, and when a stem dies the roots send up another, so the visible plant is replaced repeatedly while the genetic individual persists. The location is given roughly rather than precisely to protect it. It is counted the oldest known Norway spruce and the fourth oldest known clonal tree.

What you'll find

• A small spruce on open plateau - the visible stem only a few centuries old.
• A root system dated to about 9,560 years - the clonal individual.
• Krummholz growth - low and wind-shaped at this altitude.
• A deliberately vague location - guided walks in summer.

When to go

June to September, when the plateau is walkable. A full day.

What to expect

The tree is visually unremarkable - the interest is entirely in the dating. It is a long walk up onto exposed ground. The exact site is not signposted. Weather on the plateau is severe and changeable.

Nearby

Njupeskar is off the eastern edge; the naturum is at Morkret.

Key facts