Five Historic Trees with Extraordinary Stories
This piece highlights five trees, each with its own fascinating story. First, there’s the Bodhi Tree, where Siddhartha Gautama found enlightenment, and its oldest descendant, the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Sri Lanka, dates back to the 3rd century BC. The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest, famous for its ties to Robin Hood, sadly fell in June 2026 due to drought and other issues, although an acorn from 1926 is thriving at the State University of New York. Isaac Newton’s Apple Tree at Woolsthorpe Manor, which inspired his gravity theory in 1666, still bears fruit after 350-400 years. The Anne Frank Chestnut Tree in Amsterdam collapsed in 2010, but saplings are now planted worldwide. Finally, the Tree of Ténéré in Niger, once the world’s most isolated tree, was hit by a drunk driver in 1973, with its remains now in a museum.
Key facts
- The Bodhi Tree's cutting, Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, is the oldest tree planted by humans, dating to 3rd century BC.
- The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest died in June 2026.
- An acorn from the Major Oak was planted in 1926 at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
- Newton's Apple Tree is a Flower of Kent cultivar and still bears fruit.
- The Anne Frank Chestnut Tree blew down in 2010.
- The Tree of Ténéré was destroyed in 1973 by an alleged drunk driver.
- The Tree of Ténéré's remains are in the Niger National Museum.
- The Major Oak was the second-largest oak in England.
Entities
Institutions
- Mahabodhi Temple
- State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
- Anne Frank House
- Niger National Museum
Locations
- Bodh Gaya
- India
- Sri Lanka
- Nottinghamshire
- England
- Kent
- Woolsthorpe Manor
- Lincolnshire
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Niger