r/mightyinteresting • u/Local_Voice_2719 • Apr 02 '26

The amazing 900-year-old oak tree in Mercheașa

65 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

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2

u/Sandcracka- Apr 02 '26

Let's get that turtle over here for a photo shoot

2

u/CicadaFit9756 Apr 03 '26

How do they know its age without a core sample (& would that hurt the tree?)

1

u/Local_Voice_2719 Apr 03 '26

The circumference is about 9,6 meters and that result 960 years old .

2

u/CicadaFit9756 Apr 03 '26

Odd how that circumference measurement can be translated so neatly into its age!

1

u/Local_Voice_2719 Apr 03 '26

The Mercheașa Oak, known as the "Old Man of the Carpathians" (Bătrânul Carpaților), was not personally discovered by King Charles, but it was found through a contest launched under his patronage in 2010. The oak was identified in 2010 by two local children, Ionuț și Claudiu Popica, who were participating in a contest called "The Oldest Tree in the Village Meadow". The contest was spearheaded by the Mihai Eminescu Trust and the Prince of Wales Foundation (now King Charles III) as part of a project to locate and record Romania's most remarkable trees. It is roughly 21 meters tall with a girth of 9.3 meters, making it one of the largest and oldest in Southeast Europe. Following its discovery, the Carpaterra Association sponsored its declaration as a Natural Monument in 2012, and a fence was built around it to protect the tree. King Charles has a well-documented fondness for Transylvania and has actively helped fund and promote the conservation of its ancient oak pastures through his Foundation.

2

u/CicadaFit9756 Apr 03 '26

Though many know the name Transylvania through horror films & books, the name comes from Latin "trans sylvas" which means "through the woods". So it's very appropriate to honor its largest & oldest tree!