World's oldest living bonsai ?

Bart Thomas(deceased)

As I mentioned in the Clip and Grow Post , I recently bought a 1985 book about the Bonsai & Penjing at the Montreal Botanic Garden by David Easterbrook (Curator).

He reports (From Bonsai Down Under, Autumn 1985):

"Archaeologists recently discovered the world's oldest living bonsai dating back at least 3600 years. The potted pine was found in central China, standing vigil over the tombs of the fourth emperor of the Shang dynasty and his queen. The 41 cm high tree stood in a solid gold pot which was itself set on a solid gold pedestal some 75 cm high. A fine dripper arrangement had been built into the stone roof of the tomb complex, allowing a single drop of water to fall onto the tree every single minute. The tree, in absolute darkness for more than three and a half milleniums, was chalk white, having lost all its chlorophyll. The continuos action of falling water has washed away all the soil in the pot leaving only the drainage layer of diamonds. The dense roots were as white as the pine needles. This tree, which is almost as old as the great Egyptian pyramids. might well be classified as one of the wonders of the natural world."

I'll Say!

Has anyone heard of this tree since? It would seem to contradict all the bonsai history we know.

The pot and the pedestal (That diamond drainage layer is a nice touch) don't impress me nearly as much as the watering system.

However, this has the taint of urban legend about it to me.

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Alasdair

Is it suposed to be alive?
If si, light must have got to it somehow, there is no way that a tree could survive thousands of years in the dark. it would run out of all its food stores and end up dieing. trees arent like people, thay cant burn up their own tissue to stay alive so it must have been photosynthesising.
If it was dead (which is most likely), what a waste of a good tree!

jeremy_norbury

Oldest and living?

It doesn't seem to fit either of those.

It's a "Garden" Legend...

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Will_Heath

Quite impossible, but a nice story. No tree can survive without light and dimonds do not have any usable food for the tree, not to mention that one drop per minute would only keep one small area of the soil wet.


Will

Bart Thomas(deceased)

Ah, but the diamonds were only the drainage layer!

RonMartin(deceased)

Bart Thomas(deceased)

I thought you sold that to me!

At least that's what you told me at the time!

I want my fifty bucks back! >


I find it a nice yarn, but I'm kinda surprised it made it into the book without a comment.

I've sent a query to David via the Montreal Botanic Garden. Hope I get an answer.

Adam_MA

Fifty?!?! HA HA HA I bought the second oldest bonsai tree from Ron for $45!

Adam

Kazuki

even if the tree survived.. its not like there was a zombie candle bruning the pine for 3600 years or whatever.. the tree wouldve been some gigantic tree

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Kazuki