In search of the secret to longevity, Przekrój sent a special correspondent to the US state of Nevada, where the long-living bristlecone pine tree species grows. One of them agreed to answer a few quick questions.
Przekrój: You’re a representative of the Pinus longaeva species, known for their long lifespans. We’ll ask you for some advice on an issue that troubles us all, namely how to live a long and happy life?
Pinus longae
Meet Pando, Pando is great. He looks like a forest, but is actually one organism. All his tree trunks have the same DNA, and grow from a single root system.
The American aspen (not to be confused with European aspen) often forms such clonal colonies, but Pando, a male specimen growing in Utah, a mile from the shore of Fish Lake, is a unique life form. It’s made up of 47,000 trees, covers an area of almost forty-four hectares, and weighs 6,500 tons with its roots. In a nutshell, it’s huge.
