creosote

In the middle of the Palm Springs Desert in Southern California, the sun beats down mercilessly and harsh winds are so strong that rocks have been polished smooth by the sand. In the midst of all this grows a creosote bush could be the oldest living plant on the Earth.

Carbon dating tests are expected to show that this bush is even older than a gnarled clump of the same plant which almost 11,700 years old in the nearby Mojave Desert. The final test results will be available in a year.
read more