Honour Your Elders and Keep Growing

The term bristlecone pine covers three species of pine tree that are long-lived and highly resilient to harsh weather and bad soils. Many scientists believe that bristlecone pine trees can reach up to nearly 5,000 years old. They are thought to be the oldest living organisms on Earth.  The Inyo National Forest in Inyo County, California is home to many bristlecone pines. 

Bristlecone pines are invaluable to dendro climatologists. Dendroclimatology is the science of determining past climates from trees. They study the tree rings and when the rings are wider it means the climate conditions that year favoured growth.  Narrower ones tell when the times were difficult. 

Patriarch Grove in the Inyo National Forest is home to the world’s largest bristlecone pine. Because of its remoteness and moonscape appearance the Patriarch Tree gives the Grove a surreal atmosphere.  Bristlecone pines and limber pines dot the landscape and the background is a view of the Great Basin in Nevada. 

Methuselah is the oldest tree still alive as of October 2022. To protect the tree from vandalism, its exact location is kept under wraps by the US Forest Department.

Growing a Bristlecone pine tree is not difficult. These trees accept most soils including rocky soil, alkaline soil or acidic soil.  Since good drainage is essential don’t try planting bristlecone pine trees in areas with clay soil. Bristlecone pines need full sun. When it doesn’t get direct sunlight, it needs 200 mL or 0.8 cups of water every nine days.  A bristlecone pine should be potted in a five inch pot. 

Bristlecone pine is threatened by the disease white pine blister rust, changing precipitation patterns and warming temperatures.  If your bristlecone is turning brown, it is because the pine sawyer beetle is spreading a microscopic worm throughout the tree. The tree will usually turn completely brown in the fall and quickly die.

The two most likely causes of a pine tree turning brown from the top down are drought stress and pine wilt. Proper watering should allow this condition to correct itself over time.  The browned needles will never re-green.  If drought is the reason the needles are turning brown in the centre of the pine tree, increase watering, especially in the fall. 

These are the sayings on the bookmark called Advice from a Bristlecone Pine.

• Sink your roots into the Earth

• Keep growing

• Be content with your natural beauty

• Weather adversity

• Go out on a limb

• It’s OK to be a little gnarly

• Honour your elders!

Here are my comments about each of these sayings. 

• Sink your roots into the Earth - Like trees sink their roots into the ground, we too must base our lives on a firm foundation.  Dig in and stand firm.  

• Keep growing - Keep learning something new and continue to make progress toward reaching your goals.

• Be content with your natural beauty - Accept yourself as you are.  We all have strengths and beautiful qualities that make us unique.  

• Weather adversity - Adversity builds confidence and courage. To weather adversity means to reach the end of a difficult situation without too much harm or damage.

• Go out on a limb - Take a risk and try something new.  

• It’s OK to be a little gnarly - In the 1980’s the word gnarly was used by surfers to describe an amazing or awesome wave.  Being gnarly means being amazing.

• Honour your elders! - Be polite when you are in the presence of an elder.  If they are talking, listen.  If they ask you a question, respond respectfully and with a calm tone.  Don’t interrupt them and always ask if there is anything they need. 

Have a great day everyone.  Honour your elders and keep growing. 

# living life abundantly  # published author  # travelling tuesdays