INTRODUCTION

Wood, the principal strengthening and nutrient-conducting tissue of trees and other plants and

one of the most abundant and versatile natural materials. Produced by many botanical species,
including both gymnosperms and angiosperms, wood is available in various colours and grain
patterns. It is strong in relation to its weight, is insulating to heat and electricity, and has
desirable acoustic properties. Furthermore, it imparts a feeling of “warmth” not possessed by
competing materials such as metals or stone, and it is relatively easily worked. As a material,
wood has been in service since humans appeared on Earth. Today, in spite of technological
advancement and competition from metals, plastics, cement, and other materials, wood maintains
a place in most of its traditional roles, and its serviceability is expanding through new uses. In
addition to well-known products such as lumber, furniture, and plywood, wood is the raw
material for wood-based panels, pulp and paper, and many chemical products.
Wood Manufacturing
Wood has been used and adapted by humans since the earliest recognition that they could make
use of the materials they found around them. As they used it to meet a varying array of human
needs, in peace and in war, in farming and in industry, people gradually came to understand
something of the unique nature of wood. Its properties were first understood by experience, more
recently by systematic research and refined observation. Wood is still essential to human life, but
has evolved over the ages from a simple, readily available natural material to a modern industrial
and engineering material, with a unique ability to contribute to human life both as a material for
use and as a key element in the natural world of the forest.

HISTORY
A History of Wood from the Stone Age to the 21st Century
Wood is one of the longest standing building materials in existence, with evidence showing
homes built over 10,000 years ago used timber as a primary source for construction materials.
Europe's Neolithic long house--a long, narrow timber dwelling built in 6000 BC-- is an excellent
example. As one of the largest buildings during that period, the Neolithic long house was solid
and massive, with a capacity of housing around 30 people. Since then, the discovery of different
elements such as bronze and steel have changed and improved the way wood is applied to
building construction. Wood continues to be used to create both modest buildings such as the log
cabin, and impressive structures such as Chinese temples. Boasting its environmentally friendly,
renewable and extremely durable features, wood remains an extremely popular choice for both
buildings and furnishings.
A History of Woodworking and Its Influence in Civilization
Ancient Egyptian drawings going back to 2000 B.C. depict wood furnishings such as beds,
chairs, stools, tables, beds, and chests. There’s also physical evidence of these wooden objects,
as many were found well-preserved in tombs due to the country’s dry climate. Even some
sarcophagi (coffins) found in the tombs were crafted from wood.
Ancient Egyptian woodworkers were noted for regularly practicing their craft and for
developing techniques that advanced the craft for future generations. For instance, they invented
the art of veneering, which is the practice of gluing thin slices of wood together.
The earliest examples of veneering are over 5,000 years old, found in the tomb of Semerkhet.
Many of the pharaohs were buried with objects that had African ebony veneer and ivory inlays.
According to some scholars, Egyptians were the first to varnish, or “finish” their woodwork,
though no one knows the composition of these “finishes”. Finishing is the art of placing some
kind of protective sealant on wood materials in order to preserve them.
Ancient Egyptian woodworkers used a variety of tools, including axes, adzes, chisels, pull saws,
and bow drills. During the earliest pre-dynastic period (circa 3100 B.C., about the time of the
first pharaoh), they also used mortise and tenon joints to join pieces of wood. Pegs, dowels, and
leather or cord lashings strengthened these joints. Animal glue was used during the New
Kingdom period (1570 – 1069 B.C.).
The Egyptians used a variety of wood to build their furniture and other objects. The wood came
from native acacias, local sycamore, and tamarisk trees. However, when deforestation occurred
in the Nile Valley starting from the Second Dynasty, they began importing cedar, Aleppo pine,
boxwood, and oak from various parts of the Middle East. They also imported ebony from
Egyptian colonies and used it to construct items that went into tombs such as inlaid wooden
chests.

Early Chinese civilizations also promoted the art of woodworking. It’s believed that
woodworking mushroomed in that country starting around 720 B.C. When that happened, the
Chinese developed many sophisticated applications of woodworking, including precise
measurements used for making pots, tables, and other pieces of furniture.
During this time, a well-known carpenter, Lu Ban, was credited as being one of the originators of
woodworking in China. It’s believed he brought the plane, chalk line, and other tools to China.
Some 1500 years after his death, his teachings were compiled in the book Lu Ban
Jing (“Manuscript of Lu Ban”).
Woodworkers today who practice the ancient oriental woodworking techniques take pride in
their mastery of the fitted joint and their skill of not using electric equipment, nails or glue to
hold their pieces together. Japan is where this style of woodworking primarily originated.
One reason for Japan’s success in such excellent woodworking was that they developed high-
carbon steel tools early in their history. Their use of high-quality blades and the engineering of
the lathe made ancient Japanese woodworkers leaders in crafting round and curved objects.
Cooperage (the making of barrels and casks) and bentwood works (wood that is artificially
shaped for use in making furniture) were popular in Japan for everyday household objects.
Japanese woodworkers also made exquisitely-sculpted scenery. Their popularity and the
techniques used in the process spread across Southeast Asia.

Woodworking in the Middle East goes back for many centuries, even to Biblical times, as
evidenced in the descriptions of some items. For instance, the Book of Exodus chronicles the
construction of wooden holy items for the Tabernacle of the ancient Hebrews.
The ancient woodworkers of the Near East built great wooden boats out of timber that grew in
the Anatolian plateau (the Asian part of Turkey) along the Levantine coast (the Mediterranean
coastal lands of modern-day Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon). This wood was so coveted that
invading armies often demanded it as a tribute.

The Roman Empire also had its share of skilled woodworkers. Wielding adzes, lathes, files,
planes, saws, and drills, including the bow drill, they constructed aqueducts and waterworks
using wooden scaffolding, built impressive warships and barges and erected strong and lethal
battering rams and catapults for attacking enemy cities.
They also crafted furniture, including tables and chairs that stylistically represented the arms of
animals or that were carved to represent mythological creatures.
Archaeologists were delighted to find a furniture shop intact in Pompeii, an ancient resort city
destroyed in 79 A.D. when Mt. Vesuvius erupted. They also discovered wooden furniture and
decorations, and the methods of building.

The medieval period, also known as the Middle Ages, occurred during the one thousand years
between the fall of Rome and the Renaissance, from about 400 A.D. to the 15th century. Since
wood was the most common building material in the Middle Ages, carpenters prospered. They
also were considered to be among the most skilled craftsmen.
Carpenters, however, had to belong to guilds – groups that were designed to protect the interests
of people in certain occupations. They also were required to do apprenticeships with established
carpenters. Their tools were much simpler than what we use today, but they had to know how to
use them as well as know math and woodworking. This knowledge was necessary in order to
create furniture, wagons, and homes for people of that era – even kings and lords.
All buildings used wood in some way. Buildings were sometimes constructed almost entirely out
of wood, from the framing for their walls and roofs to their siding and shingles. Even stone
buildings required considerable wooden construction. For instance, while being built, wood was
needed for scaffolding, ramps and frames to support arches until the mortar hardened. Later,
wood was used for doors, window frames, floors, roof beams, and some interior walls.
Although most of the wooden buildings of the Middle Ages have long since vanished, we still
have contemporary illustrations of buildings and other wooden structures either completed or
under construction.

UNDERLTYING CONCEPTS
Process of Wood manufacturing
Lumber drying mills are the industry that turns trees into manufactured wood products.
Throughout its transformation process, wood’s inherent moisture content (MC) fluctuates
according to the relative humidity (RH) and temperature of the surrounding air.
Wood Manufacturing Transformation Process
*Head Rig -The primary saw cuts the tree into sawn pieces.
*Edging Removing -irregular edges and defects from sawn pieces.
*Trimming -The trimmer squares off the ends of lumber into uniform pieces based on market
dimensions.
*Rough Lumber Sorting -Pieces are segregated based on dimension and final product
production: unseasoned (known as green), or dry.
*Stickering -Lumber destined for dry production is stacked with spacers (known as stickers) that
allow air to circulate within the stack. (Green product skips this stage).
*Drying -Lumber is kiln-dried to facilitate natural MC evaporation.
*Planing - Smoothing the surface of each lumber piece and making its width and thickness
uniform.
*Grading -The process of assessing the characteristics of each lumber piece in order to assign its
“grade” (quality).
The success of wood manufacturing rests on the mill’s ability to retain the wood’s quality
throughout the manufacturing process. Wood continually loses or gains moisture until the
amount it contains is in balance with the surrounding environment. The amount of moisture at
that point is called the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) and this depends mainly on the RH
and temperature of the surrounding air. Kiln drying usually requires controlling the EMC
conditions of the wood by monitoring and controlling the RH and temperature in the kilns. A
mill’s primary job is to stabilize and maintain optimum drying conditions for the wood during
the kiln drying process.
MC technology is a vital component of modern lumber drying manufacturing. Technicians
monitor moisture management systems. In fact, there are numerous electronic manufacturers that
produce a range of lumber MC measurement systems for large lumber drying manufacturing
operations.
While maintaining and controlling the RH and temperature levels in the kilns, lumber producers
continuously measure and monitor the changes in the wood’s MC to eliminate the over-drying or
under-drying of the wood. These MC measurements can apply to a whole stack of wood in the
kiln, or to an individual spot-checked wood piece. From the moment the log enters into
production to its shipment, lumber manufacturers depend upon integrated MC measurement and
management systems to achieve quality production on every piece of lumber manufactured by
the mill.
The lumber drying process is the origin requiring mills to depend on proper wood moisture
management procedures. However, many consumers and builders mistakenly believe that wood
MC concerns end when the wood is shipped out of the mill. In fact, the MC of wood must be
constantly measured and controlled as wood will continually lose and gain moisture until it is in
balance with the surrounding atmospheric conditions. The conclusion of our series, Wood
Production, takes MC control to the installation site.

Structure of wood
Two kinds of wood. Closest to the edge there's a moist, light, living layer called sapwood packed
with tubes called xylem that help a tree pipe water and nutrients up from its roots to its leaves;
inside the sapwood there's a much darker, harder, part of the tree called the heartwood, which is
dead, where the xylem tubes have blocked up with resins or gums and stopped working.
Hardwoods and softwoods
Wood is divided into two distinct kinds called hardwood and softwood, though confusingly the
names don't always refer to its actual hardness or softness:

 Hardwoods typically come from broad-leaved (deciduous) trees (those that drop their
leaves each fall, also known as angiosperms because their seeds are encased in fruits or
pods). Examples include ash, beech, birch, mahogany, maple, oak, teak, and walnut.

 Softwoods typically come from evergeen (coniferous) trees (those that have needles and
cones and retain them year-round, also called gymnosperms. Examples include cedar,
cypress, fir, pine, spruce, and redwood.

Chemical composition

Look at some freshly cut wood under a microscope and you'll see it's made up of cells, like any
other plant. The cells are made of three substances called cellulose (about 50
percent), lignin (which makes up a fifth to a quarter of hardwoods but a quarter to a third of
softwoods), and hemicellulose (the remainder). Broadly speaking, cellulose is the fibrous bulk of
a tree, while lignin is the adhesive that holds the fibers together.

What's wood like?

The inner structure of a tree makes wood what it is—what it looks like, how it behaves, and what
we can use it for. There are actually hundreds of different species of trees, so making
generalizations about something called "wood" isn't always that helpful: balsa wood is different
from oak, which isn't quite the same as hazel, which is different again from walnut. Having said
that, different types of wood have more in common with one another than with,
say, metals, ceramics, and plastics.

What's wood like?

Strength

Physically, wood is strong and stiff but, compared to a material like steel, it's also light and
flexible. It has another interesting property too. Metals, plastics, and ceramics tend to have a
fairly uniform inner structure and that makes them isotropic: they behave exactly the same way
in all directions. Wood is different due to its annual-ring-and-grain structure. You can usually
bend and snap a small, dead, tree branch with your bare hands, but you'll find it almost
impossible to stretch or compress the same branch if you try pulling or pushing it in the opposite
direction. The same holds when you're cutting wood. If you've ever chopped wood with an ax,
you'll know it splits really easily if you slice with the blade along the grain, but it's much harder
to chop the opposite way (through the grain). We say wood is anisotropic, which means a lump
of wood has different properties in different directions.
Wood generally has high compressive strength (resistance to squeezing) when you load it in the
same direction as the grain. Wooden poles are much weaker placed horizontally; they need
plenty of support to stop them bending and snapping. That's because they have lower tensile
strength (resistance to bending or pulling forces across the grain). Not all woods are the same,
however. Oak has much higher tensile strength than many other woods, which is why it was
traditionally used to make the heavy, horizontal beams in old buildings

Durability
One of the best things about wood is how long it lasts. Browsing through the daily news, you'll
often read that archeologists have unearthed the buried remains of some ancient wooden article
—a wooden tool, perhaps, or a simple rowboat or the remnants of a huge building—that are
hundreds or even thousands of years old. Providing a wooden object is properly preserved
(something else we discuss later), it will easily outlast the person who made it. But just like that
person, a wooden object was once a living thing—and it's a natural material. Like other natural
materials, it's subject to the natural forces of decay through a process known as rotting, in which
organisms such as fungi and insects such as termites and beetles gradually nibble away the
cellulose and lignin and reduce wood to dust and memories.
Water's effect on the mechanical behaviour of wood
The mass of water in a freshly felled tree is 60 to 200% of the dry mass of the tree. In dried out
timber there is only roughly 10 weight percent water content. However timbers tend to achieve
equilibrium with the surrounding air, settling to a moisture content of 22 to 23% in moist, water-
saturated air. The effect of water on wood must therefore be considered. Combining and
repeating the previous two experiments with the three-point bending equipment can help to
demonstrate the effect. Some wood samples are soaked in water for 24 hours. This should ensure
that they have a similar level of water content as green (newly felled) timber. The deflections of
the wood samples are noted as the mass on the pan is increased in 100 g increments up to 600 g
in order to calculate the Young’s modulus of the wood. The mass is then increased further until
the failure load is reached. At this point the failure load and maximum displacement of the beam
centre are noted. This should allow a measurement of the strength of the wet wood samples.
Wood as an engineering material
Wood has many advantages as an engineering material. For example, its high toughness is due to
the cellulose microfibrils present in a matrix of lignin and hemicellulose. As wood is a fibre
composite, its toughness can be analysed in terms of a fibre pull-out mechanism of failure. 
However wood also has disadvantages as an engineering material which generally stop its use as
a high-tech material. These include:
 there is large variability in properties between species and, depending on growing
conditions and the position of the wood within a trunk, within a species.
 wood is dimensionally unstable, as water changes its dimensions.
 wood’s strength decreases when wet.
Types of Wood for Woodworking
Sampling some softwoods
Softwoods aren’t weaker than hardwoods. Softwoods come from coniferous trees such as cedar,
fir, and pine and tend to be somewhat yellow or reddish. Because most coniferous trees grow fast
and straight, softwoods are generally less expensive than hardwoods.
Following is a list of common softwood varieties and their characteristics.
Cedar
The most common type of cedar is the western red variety. Western red cedar, as its name
implies, has a reddish color to it. This type of wood is relatively soft (1 on a scale of 1 to 4), has
a straight grain, and has a slightly aromatic smell. Western Red cedar is mostly used for outdoor
projects such as furniture, decks, and building exteriors because it can handle moist
environments without rotting. Western red cedar is moderately priced and can be found at most
home centers.

Cedar is one of the most aromatic woods (hence, the cedar chest) and is strong enough to endure
the elements, so it’s great for decks and patio furniture.
Fir
Often referred to as Douglas Fir, this wood has a straight, pronounced grain, and has a reddish
brown tint to it. Fir is most often used for building; however, it’s inexpensive and can be used for
some furniture-making as well. It doesn’t have the most interesting grain pattern and doesn’t take
stain very well, so it’s best to use it only when you intend to paint the finished product. Douglas
fir is moderately strong and hard for a softwood, rating 4 on a scale of 1 to 4.
This wood is worth mentioning because it is very common at your local home center and it’s so
inexpensive you’ll probably be tempted to make something with it.
Pine
Pine comes in several varieties, including Ponderosa, Sugar, White, and Yellow, and all of them
make great furniture. In some areas of the country (especially southwest United States), pine
is the wood to use. Pine is very easy to work with and, because most varieties are relatively soft,
it lends itself to carving.

Pine is commonly used in furniture because it’s easy to shape and stain.
Pine generally takes stain very well (as long as you seal the wood first), although Ponderosa pine
tends to ooze sap, so be careful when using this stuff. Pine is available from most home centers,
but it’s often of a lesser grade than what you can find at a decent lumberyard.
Redwood
Like cedar, redwood is used mostly for outdoor projects because of its resistance to moisture.
Redwood (California redwood) is fairly soft and has a straight grain. As its name suggests, it has
a reddish tint to it. Redwood is easy to work with, is relatively soft (2 on a scale of 1 to 4), and is
moderately priced. You can find redwood at your local home center.
Homing in on hardwoods
Most woodworkers love to work with hardwoods. The variety of colors, textures, and grain
patterns makes for some beautiful and interesting-looking furniture. The downside to hardwoods
is their price. Some of the more exotic species can be too expensive to use for anything more
than an accent.
Following is a list of common hardwoods and their characteristics.
Ash
Ash is a white to pale brown wood with a straight grain. It’s pretty easy to work with (hardness
of 4 on a scale of 1 to 5) and takes stain quite nicely, but ash is getting harder and harder to find.
You won’t find ash at your local home center — it’s only available from larger lumberyards. Ash
is a good substitute for white oak.
Birch
Birch comes in two varieties: yellow and white. Yellow birch is a pale yellow-to-white wood
with reddish-brown heartwood, whereas white birch has a whiter color that resembles maple.
Both types of birch have a hardness of 4 on a scale of 1 to 5. Birch is readily available and less
expensive than many other hardwoods. You can find birch at many home centers, although the
selection is better at a lumberyard.

Birch is inexpensive, but it’s so lovely that it’s often used for making fine furniture.
Birch is stable and easy to work with. However, it’s hard to stain because it can get blotchy, so
you might prefer to paint anything that you make with birch.
Cherry
Cherry is a very popular and all-around great wood; easy to work with, stains and finishes well
with just oil, and ages beautifully. Cherry’s heartwood has a reddish-brown color to it and the
sapwood is almost white. Cherry has a hardness of 2 on a scale of 1 to 5. This is a very common
wood for furniture-making and is available from sustainably grown forests. You won’t find
cherry at your local home center, so a trip to the lumberyard is necessary if you want to use it.
Because it’s in demand, cherry is getting somewhat expensive compared to other domestic
hardwoods, such as oak and maple.
Mahogany
One of the great furniture woods, mahogany (also called Honduran mahogany) has a reddish-
brown to deep-red tint, a straight grain, medium texture, and a hardness of around 2 on a scale of
1 to 5. It takes stain very well and looks great with just a coat (or 10) of oil.
The only drawback is that mahogany isn’t being grown in sustainable forests. Forget going to
your home center to get some — the only place to find mahogany is a decent lumberyard (and
it’ll cost you).
Maple
Maple comes in two varieties: hard and soft. Both varieties are harder than many other woods;
hard maple is so hard (a 5 on a scale of 1 to 5) that it’s difficult to work with. Soft maple, on the
other hand, is relatively easy to work with. Because of their fine, straight grain, both varieties are
more stable than many other woods. They also tend to be less expensive than other hardwoods.
You won’t find maple at your local home center, but most lumberyards have a good selection of
it.
Oak
Oak is one of the most used woods for furniture. Available in two varieties — red and white —
oak is strong (hardness of about 4 on a scale of 1 to 5) and easy to work with. White oak is
preferred for furniture-making because it has a more attractive figure than red oak. White oak is
also resistant to moisture and can be used on outdoor furniture.

Oak is commonly used for flooring and furniture because many people love its grain.
This is one wood that can be found quarter-sawn (the most stable cutting option available). In
fact, quarter-sawn white oak is less expensive than some other hardwoods, like cherry. The grain
has a beautiful “ray flake” pattern to it. Red oak can be found at most home centers, but if you
want white oak, make a trip to the lumberyard.
Poplar
Poplar is one of the less expensive hardwoods. It’s also fairly soft (1 in hardness on a scale of 1
to 5), which makes it easy to work with. Poplar is white with some green or brown streaks in the
heartwood. Because poplar is not the most beautiful wood, it’s rarely used in fine furniture, and
if it is, it’s almost always painted. Poplar can be a good choice for drawers (where it won’t be
seen) because it is stable and inexpensive. You can find poplar at larger home centers, but a
lumberyard will have a better selection.

Poplar is good for making toys, bowls, and small woodworking crafts. It takes paint better than
stain.
Teak
Teak is becoming rarer as the days go on, but it is the staple for fine outdoor furniture. Teak is
highly weather-resistant and beautiful (not to mention expensive — can you believe almost $24 a
board foot?). Teak has an oily feel and a golden-brown color. It rates a 3 on a scale of 1 to 5 for
hardness and is only available from larger lumberyards and specialty suppliers.
Walnut
With a hardness of about 4 on a 1 to 5 scale, walnut is a rich brown wood that’s easy to work
with. Unfortunately, walnut is somewhat expensive (usually around $8 a board foot), and finding
large boards for big projects is getting difficult. In spite of this, walnut is still a great wood to
work with and lends itself nicely for use as accents and inlays to dress up a project. You won’t
find walnut at your local home center; you may need to special order it from a lumberyard if you
want a large quantity.
FIVE ADVANTAGES OF WOODEN FURNITURE
Strength and durability
Wood is, of course, a long-lasting and robust material and is the perfect choice for anyone
looking for longevity from their furniture. Whether you opt for hardwood (Australian oak,
blackwood or jarrah, for example) or softwood (hoop pine, celery top pine or pinus radiata),
there is an innate stability and reliability to a well-made wooden chair or desk.
This durability ensures that wooden furniture offers excellent value for money—and should you
ever want to sell a piece, solidly made, well-looked-after furniture can maintain its value over the
years.
Durability also ensures easy maintenance. Waxing, polishing and oiling only needs to be carried
out occasionally, and is an undemanding process.
Look and feel
As mentioned, wood can add a certain dignity and charm to any room, whether it be lighter-
coloured wood or rich darker hues. And when crafted by a skilled artisan, there is boundless
potential for design innovation to bring further aesthetic allure to a piece of furniture.
Wooden furniture can also go a long way to creating a sense of the natural world indoors. If you
live in a high-density apartment block in a city, you may wish to foster a sense of nature in your
living space. Wood is the perfect way to achieve this, through both its wide-ranging colour
spectrum, and the fascinating patterns of grains and fibres. Wood can also immediately bring
warmth to otherwise sterile surroundings.
Sustainability
When responsibly sourced and certified, wood represents an excellent option for sustainability,
and is thus an ecologically sound way of furnishing a home.
Wood that is responsibly sourced is actually the only renewable building material around—trees
that are harvested for their wood can be replenished by new growth. What's more, the carbon
footprint that results from the production and processing of wood products is drastically lower
than that for other building materials. And with up to 50 per cent of the dry weight of wood
being carbon, they also have the capacity to store carbon, something that’s crucial in the fight
against climate change.
Another way wood is a sustainable option is that it gives you the opportunity to 'buy local' from
specialised artisans in your community. This gives you the chance to not only support the local
timber industry, but also the local economy.
Variety
The vast range of colours and tones of wood means that plenty of variety is available for style
and look. And this is not to mention the subtle but noticeable differences between the grains and
textures of different species and cuts.
Beyond the actual material, there is further variety available in that every furniture maker –
particularly if you are buying from an individual craftsman – offers a different slant on design
according to what type of furniture is being constructed, along with personal tastes (yours and
theirs). There is little uniformity when it comes to wooden furniture, and certainly scope to get
creative design-wise to ensure a one-of-a-kind piece.
Versatility
Unlike many other materials, wood looks good in pretty much any setting. Wooden furniture can
be a part of any design scheme, be it modern or rustic, and different species will blend together
tastefully within one room or house. You might consider spotted gum or red gum for a large
dining table and pine for a dresser: either way, these wooden tones bring a seamless grace to any
home.

Facts you probably didn’t know about wood!

Wood was the first drawing material
Wood, in the form of charcoal, was the first artistic medium. An example of cave art,
using charred wood, at Rouffignac in France dates dates back 13,000 years. Kiln
produced charcoal has continued to be used by artists down the ages, and modern
artists continue to exploit its qualities in their creative endeavours.
Where is the world’s largest tree?
The largest tree is, unsurprisingly, in the USA. The tree is a giant sequoia (known as
the General Sherman) with a height of over 80 metres and at its widest, the
circumference is over 30 metres. These measurements mean it has the largest trunk
volume of any tree in the world.
The largest horse chestnut tree in the UK has a much more modest girth of 7.33
metres, but is also of note because it is 300 years old and stands in the grounds of
Disraeli’s former home on the Hughenden Estate in Buckinghamshire.
The oldest tree in the word – could be in the UK!
The oldest tree is claimed to be an ancient pine tree called Methuselah, which is
located in the White Mountains of California and is believed to be over 4,800 years
old. We do also have some UK contenders for oldest tree though, including a yew
tree, in a churchyard in the village of Llangernyw, North Wales. There’s also a yew
tree in Scotland which is thought to be between 3,000 and 9,000 years old.