Oldest plant clone

The world's oldest colony of genetically identical plants is the `King's Holly' (Lomatia tasmanica) which was found in Tasmania's south-western widerness region and is believed to be over 43,000 years old.

The plant has survived by continually cloning of itself, therefore this is a 'colony' of plants rather than the original one.  Please see the attached letter from Ron Hildebrant who explains this.

 

The shrub was carbon dated using a fossil of an identical specimen which was found nearby. The oldest living plant was previously thought to have been a 13,000-year-old huckleberry in America.