What a tree!
Hardly anybody around, we found an easy spot to park and paid 10 pesos (83 cents) each to enter the area close to the tree itself. What a massive tree!
The town of Santa Maria del Tule is spotless...and there was nobody around at 10:30am this morning!
The base of this tree is huge! In fact, the circumference is 36.2m (119ft)!
As the sign says, this tree is over 2,000 years old!
Some people used to think that this was actually three different trees that melded in to one. But they did DNA tests (on a tree? Who knew??) and proved that it is actually just one huge tree!
Ruth and the big tree.
In 1994, they thought the tree was dying. It had yellow leaves and dead branches. They brought in the tree doctors and the diagnosis was that the tree was dying...of thirst! The tree is now on a strict watering program!
The circumference of the tree is a world record 38 feet. But it is also fairly tall and bushy! It makes the full size church look small, and it makes Ruth look even tinier!
How to get to the Tule Tree.
How very cool and interesting!
ReplyDeleteIt was beautiful!
DeleteOh boy, what a tree. if nothing else could talk me into Mexico, this is very persuasive. Just amazing really. So glad to hear they are taking such good care of it. Too bad I couldn't give it a hug even if I were there.
ReplyDeleteSherry, if you ever get a chance to come to Mexico, you need to jump on it. I know you and David would love it here.
DeleteYep, would have been nice to hug it but we weren't allowed to get that close. If you are ever in the area of Charleston, South Carolina you need to visit the Angel Oak tree if you haven't already. www.travelwithkevinandruth.com/2008/04/charleston-south-carolina.html This is another amazing tree!
Not that either of you needed it, but is it possible that your ascent of the tallest volcano in the universe and your forced march across the Himalayas has left you guys even more svelte than usual? This seems to be the pictorial evidence...
ReplyDeleteI think maybe we did lose a "clothing size" after all that hiking in Guatemala.
DeleteWow what a tree. The largest I ever saw was only 24 feet . It was in south Georgia.
ReplyDeleteI think that may have been the same tree we saw just outside of Charleston, the Angel Oak. I included a link to our visit there in the reply to Sherry's comment (above).
DeleteWOW...love that header photo. The tree is actually very pretty.
ReplyDeleteThe whole garden area and the tree are beautifully looked after. They even have another tree on the other side of the church that they think is around 1,000 years old. Same type of tree, probably a relative to this one. Imagine the stories that they could tell us.
DeleteA wonderful find to see that huge tree.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful thing to see... and to know "I WAS THERE" is a great thing to claim to have done in your lifetime. Neato!
ReplyDelete~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Karen and Steve The USA Is Our Big Backyard
http://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com
I can see how a tree that size would need tons of water.
ReplyDeleteWe thought the same thing as we saw the sprinklers on it.
DeleteGreat enormous tree, but maybe the diameter is 38' instead of the circumference?
ReplyDeleteAnother thing for my bucket list...
Thanks to you two in has grown a bit longer!
Cheers, Peter.
Your are correct Peter, the circumference is 36.2m (119ft) or 11.62m (38.1ft), it has been corrected.
DeleteOurs it constantly growing so prepare to have your list grow even more.