The El Arbol del Tule (aka Tree of Tule) is a stout tree located in the town of Santa Maria del Tule in the Mexican state of Oaxaca (6 miles from the city of Oaxaca). It is a Montezuma Cypress tree (Taxodium Mucronatum) or Ahuete (meaning "old man of water). What makes this tree so amazing is that it has the stoutest trunk of any tree in the entire world. It's trunk has a circumference of 137.8 ft with a diameter of 46.1 ft. The next stoutest tree is a Giant Sequoia with only a diameter of only 29.5 ft. The height of the tree is approximately 116 ft. It's estimated weight is 701.188 short tons. It's about 1,200 to 1,300 years old. Originally, the tree was so massive that it was thought to be multiple trees fused together, but DNA testing confirmed it is only one.
Local Zapotec legend states that is was planted by Pechocha1,400 years ago, a priest of Ethecatl, the Aztec wind Good, which agrees which agrees with it's scientific estimated age. It's location is on a scared site that was taken over by the Roman Catholic Church. The tree is nicknamed the Tree of Life from the knarled areas of the tree that might appear like animals to those with good imaginations. Local school children give tourists tours of the tree. They also point out the types of animals they see in the tree such as elephants and jaguars. Here's the sad part, the tree is dying :(. Damaged root due to water shortage and pollution are taking their toll on this amazing tree.
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