A tree in Lake Kerkini National Park has stood for over ten centuries, taking root during the height of the Byzantine Empire. This ancient Yew (Taxus baccata L.), discovered at an altitude of 1,125 meters, reaches a height of 23 meters with a trunk circumference of 6.12 meters.
“Our research confirmed its age at 1,074 years, making it the oldest scientifically dated Yew in Greece,” forester Michalis Davis told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency.
The tree was identified in 2023 by local residents Kostas and Antonis Theodoridis while they were maintaining mountain trails near Lake Kerkini. Its survival is largely owed to its isolation; reaching the site, known locally as “Artitsi,” requires a grueling two-hour trek through rockfalls and chasms.
The name “Artitsi” stems from the Turkish word for juniper. According to Davis, the local Pontic Greek population, who were originally Turkish-speaking, likely named the tree after the junipers they remembered from the Black Sea region.
To determine its age, scientists used specialized drills to take samples, which were then analyzed under stereomicroscopes at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Despite its age, the tree remains healthy, continuing to grow slowly within a lush beech and linden forest.
The study advocates for a national initiative to identify and protect Greece’s scattered monumental trees.
Related: The World’s Oldest Living Olive Tree is in Crete, Greece
