Here I offer some interesting facts regarding the largest and oldest trees in the world. North America is home to some of the greatest untouched forests on the planet, as well as holding the largest trees (Giant Sequoias), the tallest (Coast Redwoods), and the oldest (Bristlecone Pines.)   That being said, other continents compete in their own right: nobody has come close to fully exploring the rain forests of South America, and it is very difficult to accurately determine the age of the largest and oldest trees in the rain forests since they do not put down clear growth rings. Australia, traditionally seen as a desert-continent, has huge Eucalyptus trees, and Europe's old forests, while not as large or as ancient as some, are better documented and recorded than perhaps any on the planet. The Far East also has its share of secrets, such as the nearly extinct Dawn Redwood, a cousin to the Coast Redwood and the Bald Cypress. Who knows what other such discoveries may lurk in forgotten forests around the planet?

UK Tree Register American Forests

	Europe's forests are unusual in the relative lack of native trees species when compared to other continents. This is believed to have been caused by the blocking effect of the Alps during Ice Ages: the trees attempted to migrate southwards, but instead ran into the mountains. In North America and and parts of Asia, the trees were not stopped by a large East-West mountain chain, and thus far more species survived. Fortunately, the species that did survive are quite sturdy and long-lived, including several might oaks, the ancient yews, and the elegant beech trees.
	Coast Redwoods and Giant Sequoias are the largest single-stemmed living organisms on the planet, and among the oldest, beaten out by only a relative handful of species. That being said, they are heavily adapted to their unique environmental niches. For example, Coast Redwoods are rather picky about humidity, rainfall, and temperature, and Giant Sequoias are heavily dependent upon fire and a few specific insect and rodent species to release seeds and clear out underbrush for young seedlings. It is an unfortunate fact that these mighty trees are rather limited in their adaptability to new climates since it makes conserving what remaining forests we have so much more important and considerably more difficult.
	While the largest, oldest, and other record setting species tend to get all the attention, many other tree species are noteable for passing the century mark and growing to impressive sizes. Along the East Coast of the United States lies the Appalachian Mountain range, an ancient range of mountains that was pushed up back when the continents were clumped together in a super-continent. These mountains are very old and heavily eroded, but they are also home to many species of trees, including some very impressive hardwood species. While we all know about huge old oaks and beech trees, the record for height among broadleaf trees in this region is held by either the Tulip Tree or the American Sycamore. Both grow to heights that are staggering in their own right, even though the giants on the West Coast still stand tall over them. The Smoky Mountains are the home to the largest and oldest of these, and many other broadleaf trees.
	Sometimes, impressive trees can be found in very unlikely places. The towering Eucalyptus trees on the dry continent of Australia is one example. The huge cottonwoods that grow along rivers and streams in the American Midwest and Plains States is another. Similarly, some of the largest trees in sheer mass are not the tallest: Live Oaks grow relatively short and wide for an oak tree, but their massive trunks and limbs hold up well against hurricanes. Bald Cypress often have stout trunks, even if they lack in height, for the same reason. Finally, there's the Dawn Redwood, a once nearly extinct tree with an as of yet unknown maximum size and lifespan since there are so few surviving wild examples remaining.

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