There are lonely trees all over the world. They sit solo in the middle of a field, or they’re far taller than their surrounding trees, sticking up high into the sky all alone. There’s usually another tree somewhere nearby, or at least within a few miles, but this tree on Campbell Island south of New Zealand is different from the rest. It is arguably the loneliest tree in the world.
According to Atlas Obscura, Campbell Island’s Sitka spruce sits over 170 miles from its closest taxonomic cousin. The closest tree of any kind sits on the Aukland Islands northeast. Campbell Island itself is void of other trees, and would be completely treeless if it weren’t for New Zealand’s governor Lord Ranfurly, who planted the Sitka spruce around the turn of the 20th century.
Sitka spruce trees are theย largest of the world’s spruces, typically found along the northwest coast of North America. They grow from northern California to Alaska, preferring a maritime climate with abundant moisture throughout the year, mild winters, and cool summers.
This Sitka spruce seems to be thriving on the island despite having the cloudiest climate in the subantarctic, rain for 325 days per year, and very high winds for 100 days of the year. At 30 feet tall, it’s grown into a poofier, more cauliflower-like shape than typical Sitka spruce.
