Longevity on the Bruce

On a cliff above Georgian Bay at Lion’s Head is the oldest living tree in Ontario.

It’s not a towering majestic pine or hardwood. It’s a lowly, twisted, gnarley white cedar that you probably wouldn’t give a second glance. Yet that tree has clung to its rocky perch for 1,316 years!

Its remote and rugged location on the Bruce Peninsula’s part of the Niagara Escarpment may be what has allowed it to survive since germination in 688 AD.

Protected under a rock overhang, also on the escarpment, has been found another twisted old cedar. This one died centuries ago, but had lived in that place for 1,890 years, experts believe, and its lifeless remains continue to be preserved.

To learn about other species of long-lived trees in the province go to http://www.oldgrowth.ca/oldtrees/