Montezuma Cypress: The Tule Tree

The Tule Tree, or El Árbol del Tule, is a Montezuma cypress tree on the grounds of a church in Santa María del Tule in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It measures more than 119 feet around but is only 116 feet high (To put that in perspective, the General Sherman is 275 feet high and 102 feet around). It's believed that the tree is about 2,000 years old. Local legend holds that the tree was planted 1,400 years ago by a priest of the Aztec storm god. According to National Geographic, it is the inspiration for an annual festival in Oaxaca celebrated on the second Monday of October.

 

  

Pirangi cashew tree

This famous tree near Natal, Brazil, is a 177-year-old cashew tree covering nearly 2 acres of ground. It was planted in 1888 by a fisherman who was unaware that the tree had a genetic mutation that would allow it to eventually take over so much space. When the branches of the Pirangi tree touch the ground, it puts down roots and keeps growing, unlike a typical cashew tree. Today the tree is a tourist attraction and park located a few hundred yards from the beach.

 

 

Giant Sequoia: General Sherman

General Sherman makes the list for being ... huge! This redwood tree is located in Sequoia National Park in California and is believed to be between 2,300 and 2,700 years old. It towers about 275 feet above the ground, is the largest non-clonal tree in the world by volume, and is more than 100 feet around at the base.