How to Determine the Age of a Tree

How does one determine the age of a tree? The easiest way is to count the life rings in a log. Each ring is a year life of the tree. Of course, it is impossible to do if the tree is standing and alive. One needs to wait until the tree is harvested, then examine the end cut of the tree base log. A tree's life ring determines the age. The ring is like a wood grain around the inner circumference of the log.

Original growth trees, ones that have not been replanted by man, often have 20 +/ rings per inch of the diameter. These trees can be 100s of years old. Here is an end cut of a reclaimed sinker cypress log. There are over 400 life rings on the piece. It was harvested in the late 1800s and laid at the bottom of a FL river until the 2000s. This makes this piece over 500 years old, around the time Columbus discovered America. Any logs this age are called "a Columbus" by the saw mill.

New growth trees are often fast grown commercially or have been privately planted as landscape elements. These can have only 3-5 life rings per inch of the diameter.

Growing conditions can also be shown by the tree rings. Drought years will result in tight, close rings. Abundant moisture will result in wider spaced rings. A forest burn will show as a black ring, if the tree lives. In an old reclaimed log piece, it is interesting to locate various events in history, i.e. the Age of the Renaissance, American revolution, War of 1812, WWI, etc.

Nature is indeed a wondrous place to enjoy.

Smell the Roses and have a great life.

John Gabrielson

Natural Creations