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Top 10 Amazing Facts about World’s Loneliest Tree

The loneliest tree is located on the subantarctic Campbell Island, Motu Ihupuku. This is the main island of the Campbell group of Islands. The tree stands out in the New Zealand cove and is located miles away from the next nearest tree. This tree is about 170 miles from the nearest tree, which is located on the Auckland Islands, northeast of the loneliest tree location. The loneliest tree holds a Guinness World Record title. It holds the title of the 鈥榬emotest tree鈥� and it stands at a height of about nine meters tall. 

Below are ten fantastic facts about the world鈥檚 loneliest tree.

1. It is still considered the loneliest tree more than 100 years after it was planted

Uchter Knox, 5th Earl of Ranfurly (1856鈥�1933). Photo by gg.govt.nz/

Lord Ranfurly, New Zealand鈥檚 governor, planted the loneliest tree at the turn of the 20^th century. This tree is still considered the loneliest tree more than 100 years after it was planted.

Previously the most isolated tree was the Tree of T茅n茅r茅 in the Sahara Desert. It was however mowed down by a driver who was driving while drunk. To date, the Tree of T茅n茅r茅 is still being displayed at the Niger National Museum.

2. The tree thrives despite growing in harsh climatic conditions

A Spruce tree image. Photo by Annie Spratt on

The loneliest tree grows on Campbell Island which has the cloudiest weather in the sub-Antarctic. The tree endures 325 days of rainy days and 100 days of gale-force winds a year. Despite being isolated and growing in such harsh climatic conditions, the loneliest tree seems to thrive. It grows at a rate of about five to ten times faster than usual.

3. The tree does not have its usual cone shape that the species is known for

The 30-foot-tall loneliest tree does not have the cone-shaped top that the species is known for. It has a cauliflower-like shape that may have resulted from the removal of its central trunk.

It is said that several decades ago, the area had a year-round meteorological staff. The staff may have used a tree trunk as a Christmas tree.

4. The loneliest tree is more than 100 years old

Sitka Spruce in the Hoh rain forest in Olympic National Park. Photo by Graaf van Vlaanderen/

To study the climate data stored within the tree鈥檚 ring, scientists took samples from the tree. The samples were taken in 2014 from the loneliest tree which is now more than 100 years old.

The tree collects radiocarbon from above ground, despite its location. The information gathered is said to be an indication of the Anthropocene, which is the geological age of humans.

5. The area where the tree stands is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Geographic map of Campbell Islands, New Zealand. Photo by ikonact/

The New Zealand鈥檚 Department of Conservation manages Campbell Island. This island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and nature reserve.

Tours are offered on the island and visitors are taken to the location of the loneliest tree. Access to the area is however restricted and you need a permit to land on the land.

6. The tree species is not native to that region or the Southern Hemisphere

The native tree is growing deep in the Southern Oceanic region but it is not native to that region. Neither is that Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), native to the Southern Hemisphere. That species鈥� natural habitat is in the Western part of North America. This is about 7,000 miles (about 11,265 km) from where it stands.

7. The rings in the tree are said to mark the start of the Anthropocene geological period

The University of New South Wales researchers published a study in the journal Scientific in 2018. The study indicated an increase in the isotope within a ring of the Ranfurly tree. This represented the second half of 1965.

According to scientists, the Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), or 鈥済olden spike鈥�, is an indication of a new period. It is said to be an official record of the start of the Anthropocene period.

8. The loneliest tree has never produced any cones since it began growing

Picea sitchensis (Sitka spruce) cone and foliage. Photo by

The loneliest tree thrives despite the harsh subantarctic climatic conditions it endures. The Ranfurly spruce which is growing on Campbell Island has not produced any cones. It is said to still be in a pre-reproductive juvenile phase.

The likeliest explanation is the meteorological staff who were stationed on the island decades ago may have used part of it as a Christmas tree. The staff may have cut the tree鈥檚 central trunk and used it as a Christmas tree.

This may be what has kept the tree from reproducing and thus earning it the title of the loneliest tree. The tree does not seem to be a threat to the local native flora. As such, the New Zealand Department of Conservation does not intend to remove it from its current location.

9. The rings on the tree have helped mark a new geological period

The Trinity test in July 1945 has been proposed as the start of the Anthropocene period. Photo by Berlyn Brixner/

The Holocene Epoch, which covered the last 11,700 years, is now said to be no longer adequate. It does not completely cover humanity鈥檚 massive impact. Plans are now underway to update Earth鈥檚 history鈥檚 official timeline.

Scientists say humanity has now entered a new geological phase known as the Anthropocene period. The exact date of this period has not been agreed upon nonetheless, there is a period of 鈥楪reat Acceleration. This is believed to be the worldwide distribution of the radioactive isotope carbon-14 from the atomic bomb tests. These are the tests that took place in the 1950s and 1960s.

10. The tree species is categorized as an invasive species

This tree species is categorized as an invasive species. Many scientists would prefer not to have the species. However, Doctor Jocelyn Turnbull for radiocarbon science leader at GNS Science says the tree is valuable.

Doctor Turnbull states that the tree can help with understanding the carbon dioxide uptake in the Southern Ocean. She says that the carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels is absorbed in two parts. Half goes into the atmosphere and the other half is absorbed by the land and the ocean.