The oldest oak tree in Europe, located in Grevena

The oldest oak tree in Europe

In Grevena, we can see the oldest oak tree in Europe, 1300 years old. Two kilometers from the square of Deskatis in Grevena, there is a rare oak tree, 1,300 years old, which turned out to be the oldest in Europe. It is a Grayish oak (quersus pedunculiflora) and according to the scientists who dated it, it seems to have grown around 720 AD.

Grayish oak is a hardy species, able to grow on many different soils. Given its resistance to drought, the tree is likely to be an important species for forestry in the future, particularly in the face of climate change. Despite its drought-tolerance, the tree is often found in floodplain forests and along rivers and streams.

How was the age of said oak obtained?
The forester Ioannis Spanos, researcher of the General Directorate of Agricultural Research “Elgo-Dimitra” and his team reported that the error deviation for the age of the oak is 30-50 years.

The oak has already been declared a “preservable monument of nature” with unique scientific, ecological, historical and cultural value. It has a diameter of 2.25 meters and the circumference of its trunk, at the height of the parapet, is 7.06 meters. It is located at an altitude of 658 meters and its height exceeds twenty-three meters.

In the area of Deskati, apart from the oldest oak tree, there is another rare and unique find. After geological surveys and measurements by scientists, the oldest rocks of Greece, 1 billion years old, were identified and certified.

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