- Photographer Beth Moon's book, "Ancient Trees: Portraits of Time," compiles her photos of the world's most impressive and historic trees.
- Featured trees include the "General Sherman" tree in Sequoia National Park, "The Lover Baobabs" growing intertwined in Madagascar, and yew trees in England dating back to 1391.
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Throughout history, trees have withstood the test of time. Civilizations rise and fall, but many trees stay where they are, growing and staying firm.
Photographer Beth Moon is fascinated by trees, especially those that have been around the longest and have grown the largest. This fascination led her to travel the globe to photograph the world's most impressive and historic trees. She is interested in documenting such trees in order to preserve their memory and pay homage to their significance.
Her photos were compiled in a book, "Ancient Trees: Portraits of Time," available through Abbeville Press. She shared some of her photos and stories with us.
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One of the most popular attractions in Madagascar, the Avenue of the Baobabs, is a dirt road flanked by about 25 Baobab trees.
The trees, which are only found on the island, grow to be almost 100 feet tall and are thought to be as old as 800 years.
These two yew trees, which flank the door to the Church of St. Edward in Stow-on-the-Wold, England, were probably survivors of an avenue of trees that led to the door of the church.
Planted sometime in the 18th century, they now appear to grow from the building itself.
This tree, known as Rilke's Bayon, grows around a Buddhist temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
The trees can grow 150 feet or taller, and their roots can work to tear up the ancient stone of the building as they search for soil.
The Queen Elizabeth Oak is an ancient tree growing near Cowdray Park in England.
It is estimated to have begun growing in the 11th or 12th century and has a girth of 52 feet at its widest point. It is thought to have got its name after a visit from the Queen to Viscount Cowdray's estate in 1591.
This tree, another ancient yew, grows in the churchyard of a small parish church in rural Wales.
Built into the trunk of the tree is a pulpit, complete with steps and a chair, from which sermons would be given, as far back as the 1850s.
The Bowthorpe Oak in Lincolnshire, England, is thought to be England's oldest oak tree.
Estimated to be over 1,000 years old, the Oak is in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Another pair of baobabs have grown in a rare intertwining way, giving them the name "The Lover Baobabs."
Legend has it that two local star-crossed lovers prayed to the heavens for assistance in this area, and from their wishes the trees grew.
This ancient bristlecone pine high up in the White Mountains is over 4,000 years old.
The pine is found in the Schulman Grove in the Inyo National Forest in California.
This massive chestnut tree is on the grounds of the Croft Castle in Herefordshire, England.
Rumor has it that the tree was planted using nuts that had been salvaged from a Spanish Armada that famously shipwrecked in 1592, which would make the tree over 420 years old.
The yew trees of Wakehurst Place in West Sussex, England, have been dated as far as the year 1391.
The trees are still growing strong.
The Whittingehame Yew in East Lothian, Scotland, is said to be over 1,200 years old.
The yew grows on the grounds of the Whittingehame Tower.
The General Sherman, a giant sequoia in Sequoia National Park, California, is probably the most famous tree in North America.
By volume, it is the largest tree on earth. Estimates put it at between 2,300 and 2,700 years old.
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