PRIMITIVE FORESTS
Very few people know that these common plants are prehistoric
Published on April 23, 2024
Image: Ellicia
Compared to the age of our planet, we humans aren’t too different from toddlers, still figuring out how things work on Earth. But some plant species have been around for far longer than us, yet they continue to defy time and evolutionary pressures, offering us a unique window into a world long lost.
Put on your gardening boots and join us for a look at 10 of the most remarkable botanical survivors.
Ginkgo Biloba
Image: Rapha Wilde
Considered a "living fossil", ginkgo biloba goes back over 270 million years and has changed very little since the age of dinosaurs. Easily identifiable for their distinctive fan-shaped leaves, ginkgo trees are revered for their medicinal properties, particularly in traditional Chinese medicine. The last living species of its botanical order, this tree is exceptionally hardy, with some specimens considered to be older than 2,500 years.
Wollemi Pine
Image: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0
Popularly known as a "dinosaur tree," the Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis) was thought to be extinct until its rediscovery in 1994 in a remote Australian forest. Belonging to a family that dates back over 200 million years, this ancient conifer is a botanical marvel. Interestingly, despite its common name, Wollemia__nobilis is not a true pine, nor a member of the pine family.
Horsetails
Image: moon-app .com
Horsetails (Equisetum) have thrived for over 300 million years, making them one of the oldest surviving plant lineages. These primitive plants are the only living genus of its family, and are characterized by their jointed stems and spore-producing cones. During the late Paleozoic Era, these plants dominated the understory of forests and fossils are often found in coal deposits of that period.
Ferns
Image: Clyde Gravenberch
Ferns are among the oldest vascular plants on Earth, with fossils dating back around 360 million years. They don’t produce seeds or flowers, and reproduce entirely via spores. Despite their ancient origins, ferns continue to flourish worldwide and are highly adaptable, living in a wide variety of habitats, from lush forests to dry rock. Many species are highly dependent on a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi, underscoring the evolutionary importance of this interspecies interaction.
Cycads
Image: David Clode
Cycads are another botanical class that has remained relatively unchanged for over 200 million years. These palm-like plants were once abundant during the Mesozoic era and are now prized for their ornamental value in gardens and landscapes. Interestingly, cycads rely on extremely specialized pollinators - usually a specific species of beetle - and are dioecious, meaning that individual plants can either be male or female.
Welwitschia mirabilis
Image: Sara&Joachim on Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0
One of the strangest plants in this list, the Welwitschia mirabilis is a living relic of a bygone era, with a lineage stretching back over 90 million years. Its appearance is so alien that, if you stumbled upon it by chance, you might easily confuse a very healthy individual with a dying one. Endemic to the Namib Desert, this peculiar plant is very well adapted to survive extreme arid conditions, and some can live well over 2,000 years! Curiously, since the plant does not form tree rings or any similar structures, the only way to determine its age is by radiocarbon dating.
Liverworts
Image: Poyt448, Peter Woodard, CC BY-SA 4.0
Liverworts, simple plants resembling mosses, have persisted for over 470 million years, making them one of the oldest known plant groups. These small, ancient organisms are often overlooked, but play crucial roles in ecosystems, from providing habitat to influencing nutrient cycling. They are found all over the world, and are adapted to almost every available habitat, from warm humid forests to the Arctic tundra.
Dawn Redwood
Image: Photo (c)2006 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), CC BY-SA 2.5
Once thought to be extinct, the discovery of living specimens in China in the 1940s astonished botanists. Dawn Redwoods (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) belong to a genus that dates back over 100 million years, and it is the last surviving representative of it. Although the species is classified as critically endangered in the wild, there are many specimens planted in botanical collections worldwide, and the trees are highly valued for their fast growth and stunning autumn foliage.
Araucaria Trees
Image: Luis Fernando Felipe Alves
Araucaria trees, such as the iconic Monkey Puzzle tree, trace their ancestry back over 200 million years. These ancient conifers have adapted to diverse environments, from tropical rainforests to temperate regions, showcasing remarkable resilience. Although predominantly found in the Southern Hemisphere nowadays, during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, they were widespread across the globe.
Mosses
Image: Aldo Hernandez
Mosses have been around for over 470 million years, making them some of the oldest plants on Earth. Like all non-vascular plants, they lack most parts we ordinarily associate with plants, like flowers, leaves, or even roots. But despite their simple structure and diminutive size, mosses are key players in ecosystems, aiding in soil retention, moisture regulation, and carbon sequestration. If you are ever lost in a mossy forest, note that they tend to thrive on the north side of trees and rocks (in the Northern Hemisphere) due to receiving less direct sunlight. In the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite holds true.
