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What are the longest-lived tree species in the United States?

Of the 850 different tree species (a group of organisms that share a special set of characteristics) in the United States, the oldest species is the bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva). The bristlecone pine grows in the deserts of Nevada and southern California, especially in the White Mountains. Some bristlecone pine trees are believed to be more than 4,600 years old; their potential life span is an estimated 5,500 years.

Bristlecone pine trees, however, are mere youngsters compared to the maiden-hair tree (Ginkgo bibloba) of Zhexiang, China. This tree, which is the oldest surviving species in the world, first appeared during the Jurassic era some 160 million years ago. Also called an icho, or ginkyo ("silver apricot"), this species has been cultivated in Japan since 1100 B.C.

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