Perched on a cliff, the bone-white loricato pine tree is known as “Italus” and was discovered by chance in 2017, in the Pollino National Park.
The tree, which is the oldest dated in Europe at the age of 1230, was found to be over a millennium old by scientists using carbon dating determine when it first began to bud.
Italus germinated in AD 789 – the year the Vikings landed on English shores for the first time, according to a research paper published on May 16 in the journal Ecology.
While it may seem like a precarious place, its location on a very steep rocky slope has protected the ancient tree from fires and lightning as well as keeping it at a cooler temperature for thousands of years.
Now, a team from the Pollino National Park are working with experts from Tuscia University to protect the tree from harsh weather as a result of climate change.
Carmelo Pizzuti, an official from the Pollino National Park, said the ancient tree needs to be preserved for future generations.
Despite the unpredictable climate of recent years, the tree has seen a recent surge in growth.
Researchers noticed that after laying down smaller rings in its trunk for the last few centuries, the ancient pine has grown more substantial rings, which indicates better environmental conditions.
The name Italus is inspired by a king who ruled Calabria before Greeks arrived in the southern region.
