Tree of The far Past

These so called living fossils are a specie of trees that co-existed with the dinosaurs. They can reach an extraordinary high age. Like some of these that are over 1200 years old. This Loricato pine lives in ultimate isolation, in the most impervious and windy places, between storms, frost and smolders, where other fauna can not survive. Armed by it’s protective bark it stands strong in a harsh habitat, formed by time and lightning. When it dies it loses its bark and becomes like marble but remains standing; like a king of silence; monument of itself. 📍Pollino National Park Basilicata, Italy