North Maclean's famous vintage eucalypt, the 378-year-old Gandalf, has some leafy rivals out to shade its renowned longevity, after another round of tree age testing by Logan City Council.
Council has identified eight amazing specimens aged in triple figures, including one that sprouted not that long after Gandalf first put down roots.
A tallowwood, otherwise known as Eucalyptus microcorys, located on a private property in Greenbank, is estimated by arborists to be at least 320 years old. It has a diameter of 1.89 metres.
Gandalf, which grows near the Logan River, measures 2.38m across the middle. The gnarly tree was named by the property owner and the arborist who tested it because it had a lot of character.
Other ancient hardwoods identified by council tree-ageing tests were found in Cedar Grove and Meadowbrook, and vary between an estimated 135 and 317 years old.
A 290-year-old blackbutt was found in Shailer Park, a suburb that is mostly comprised of suburban development.
Measuring approximately 43 metres high, it is also Logan's tallest known tree and has been dubbed the Grey Ghost by arborists.
While technically not related, the aged trees all come from an era long before Europeans arrived and survived a period of extensive logging and then urban growth across the region.
Testing of the trees involves an arborist drilling a thin probe into the trunk to measure the resistance of the hard and soft wood of each year of growth. The pin hole in the trunk is then sealed.
City Economic Development, Planning and Environment Committee chair, Jon Raven, said old trees played an important role in eco-diversity across Logan.
"Because of their age, many of the trees are gnarled and have branches broken off by storms and lightning over the years," Cr Raven said.
"These broken branches eventually form into hollows and provide ideal nesting locations and protection for a range of birds and wildlife."
This is only the second time council has undertaken a tree-age testing program. It is hoped to expand the program with the help of other landowners and map historic old trees across the city.
In the last financial year, council planted more than 83,000 native trees, shrubs and grasses across Logan.
It is estimated more than 94,000 will be planted across Logan over the next 12 months.
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