The oldest tree and the biggest tree on the planet are two distinct natural wonders.

 The oldest tree and the biggest tree on the planet are two distinct natural wonders, each remarkable in its own way. Here's where they are located and what makes them unique:

Oldest Tree: Methuselah (Great Basin Bristlecone Pine)

• Location: White Mountains, California, USA (Inyo National Forest)
• Age: Over 4,850 years old

Methuselah is a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva) located in the White Mountains of eastern California. It holds the title of the oldest known living tree (non-clonal) on Earth, with an age of more than 4,850 years. This tree has survived millennia of harsh conditions, including extreme temperatures and dry, rocky soil, contributing to its incredible longevity.

The exact location of Methuselah is kept secret by the U.S. Forest Service to protect it from vandalism or excessive human disturbance. However, it is part of a protected area within the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, where other very old trees also exist.

Biggest Tree: General Sherman (Giant Sequoia)

• Location: Sequoia National Park, California, USA
• Height: 275 feet (83.8 meters)
• Diameter at Base: 36.5 feet (11.1 meters)
• Volume: 52,508 cubic feet (1,487 cubic meters)

The General Sherman tree, a Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), is the largest known living single-stem tree on Earth by volume. It grows in Sequoia National Park, California, and is estimated to be around 2,200 to 2,700 years old.

While not the tallest tree (that title goes to the Hyperion redwood), General Sherman holds the record for sheer mass. Its immense size is due to its thick trunk and substantial biomass. Each year, General Sherman adds enough wood to equal a typical 60-foot tree, making it not only the largest tree but also one of the fastest-growing in terms of volume.

Other Notable Trees

• Oldest Clonal Tree: Pando, a quaking aspen colony in Fishlake National Forest, Utah, is considered the oldest clonal organism. It is made up of genetically identical trees connected by a single root system. While individual trunks are not as ancient, the root system is estimated to be around 80,000 years old.

• Tallest Tree: Hyperion, a coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) in Northern California, holds the title for the tallest tree on Earth, standing at 379.7 feet (115.7 meters).

Both Methuselah and General Sherman stand as remarkable examples of nature's endurance and scale, with Methuselah representing ancient longevity and General Sherman embodying enormous size.