A single, multi-millennial organism
On the remote Japanese island of Yakushima, at an altitude of 1,300 meters, stands a colossal tree known as Jomon Sugi. This ancient specimen of Cryptomeria japonica, or Japanese cedar, is a single tree and the center of a clonal colony. The main trunk measures 25.3 meters in height and has a massive circumference of 16.4 meters. Scientific analysis, including radiocarbon dating of its branches, confirms a minimum age of 2,170 years, though estimates range as high as 7,200 years. The upper limit is constrained by the geologic history of the island; a massive volcanic eruption is thought to have destroyed most life on Yakushima about 7,300 years ago.
A feature of Jomon Sugi is its method of propagation. The ancient central tree is a genetic parent to a dozen surrounding trunks. These are not offspring in the traditional sense, produced by seeds. They are genetically identical clones. This form of vegetative reproduction, likely achieved through a process called layering where low-hanging branches make contact with the soil and develop their own root systems, has allowed this single organism to persist for millennia. The entire group functions as one individual, sharing the same genetic code.