Manzanita tree. Pine Valley, California.

Getty submissions.

Trees are among the oldest living organisms on the planet. Some individual trees have lived for several thousand years, and connected groves of trees can sometimes live for tens of thousands of years. Living that long requires a combination of steady climate, solitude, luck and of course, genetics. Some tree species consistently outlive the others. Based on tree rings (which form at the rate of one per year), these are the longest-lived tree species.

I photographed these Giant Fig Trees Roots in Kauai, Hawaii. (This is a Moreton Bay Fig, or Ficus macrophylla -- a Banyan tree native to Australia.) I wanted to emphasis it's massive roots. Their size and sprawling nature were accentuated by forced perspective, achieved through using a wide angle lens (17mm, or 24mm equivalent). Including the round lava rocks in the foreground also adds interest. See how large these roots are next to a human…

8 Fresh Seeds w/Instructions (perishable) The Sea Grape, native to the sandy seashores of tropical America, usually forms a low shrub or small tree

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