Explore The Oldest Plants with Rachel Sussman

As a designer, I counsel people all the time about the long-term growth of a plant, but in reality, I plan to achieve most of their goals somewhere in the 5-year time frame.  The reality of residential design is that people don’t have the patience or space for things that get really big (over a long period of time), nor is there a strong attitude of reverence for age and precedence.  When I have an opportunity to plant something with the potential for greater longevity and genuine long-term impact on the the landscape, I really feel the weight of added responsibility.

A landscape in the Atacama Desert, Chile, showcases bright green moss-like vegetation on rocky terrain, flanked by sparse shrubs and boulders. Highlighting nature's endurance, this ancient growth featured in "Oldest Plants with Rachel Sussman" is 400 to 3,000 years old.
La llareta (up to 3,000 years old, Atacama Desert, Chile)
A forest of white aspen trees with black markings stands among fallen branches and yellow-brown grass. The ground is scattered with logs and leaves beneath a canopy of bright autumn foliage, echoing an ancient connection to some of the world's oldest plants described by Rachel Sussman.
Clonal quaking aspens  (80,000 years old, Fish Lake, UT)

It is because of this that I find really old plants remarkable (and that, simply, really old plants are just amazingly cool).  Rachel Sussman clearly has a similar reverence, she is the photographer that created these images (and more).  She is in the process of photographing the world’s oldest living specimens  — and the results are fascinating.

A massive baobab tree with a wide trunk, surrounded by smaller trees and dry grass, stands as one of the "Oldest Plants" featured by Rachel Sussman. A bench and a fence can be seen on the right. This 1,200-year-old marvel is located in Limpopo Province, South Africa.
Segole Baobab (2000 years old) Limpopo Province, South Africa.
A large Welwitschia mirabilis plant with long, twisted leaves sits on sandy terrain under a clear sky in the Namib Naukluft Desert, Namibia. The ancient plant is prominently featured in Rachel Sussman's work. Text at the bottom reads, "Welwitschia Mirabilis #0707-22411 (2,000 years old).
Welwitschia mirabilis (2,000 years old; Namib Naukluft Desert, Namibia)

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to plant a redwood tree – it was the perfect place on a great property where it will have everything it needs to someday grow to amazing heights.  These pictures remind me of the excitement of that moment- knowing that something beautiful on this planet – that I was responsible for – will persist long past my own time here.

A solitary spruce tree stands in an open field with rocky terrain under a cloudy sky, captured by artist Rachel Sussman. The image notes the ancient tree as "Spruce Gran Picea #0909-11047 (9,550 years old, Sweden)," one of the oldest plants known.
Spruce Gran Picea (approx 9550 years old) in Sweden.
Ancient Japanese cedar tree in a lush green forest, its thick trunk exhibiting textured bark. Wooden planks encircle its base. Text below tells of its age and location: Jomon Sugi, Yakushima, Japan. Celebrated by Rachel Sussman for its place in plant history as one of the oldest plants.
Jomon Sugi – a Japanese cedar (estimated 2180- 7000 years old) , YakuShima, Japan.

It is worth a visit to Rachel’s website to see the images that she has gathered from all over the world.  I am inspired to make travel arrangements with ports of call at some of these amazing specimens.  How do these inspire you?
And I almost forgot to mention that you can join Rachel (via her blog) as she travels the world to take these fantastic images.  It’s an incredible armchair travel bargain.



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