The Stoutest Soul: At the Feet of Mexico’s Ancient Giant

/ by Jon Smith / in National Geographical Trees

The Stoutest Soul: At the Feet of Mexico’s Ancient Giant

In the quiet plaza of Santa María del Tule, just a few miles east of Oaxaca City, stands a living monument that challenges our very understanding of scale. El Árbol del Tule—the Tree of Tule—is not merely a plant; it is a sprawling, 500-ton cathedral of wood and needle, a Montezuma cypress (Taxodium mucronatum) that holds the title for the stoutest trunk on Earth.

A Single Pulse of Ancient Life

For decades, the sheer girth of the Tule tree sparked a botanical debate. Its trunk is so wide—measuring a staggering 46.1 feet (14.05 meters) in diameter—that many scientists believed it was a cluster of several trees fused together by time. However, modern DNA analysis has revealed a singular truth: this is one individual organism, a single life force that has been growing in the Oaxacan soil for roughly 2,000 years.

Known in Nahuatl as the Ahuehuete, or “Old Man of the Water,” the tree is a sacred figure to the local Zapotec people and serves as the national tree of Mexico. It is a biological fortress, weighing in at an estimated 636 tons, with a canopy so vast it provides shade for an entire congregation.

The Menagerie in the Bark

To the children and guides of Santa María del Tule, the tree is also a storyteller. The gnarled, heavily buttressed bark has twisted over the centuries into a series of natural sculptures. With the help of small mirrors to catch and direct the Mexican sun, local guides point out the “Garden of Eden” hidden within the wood:

  • The Elephant: A massive, trunk-like fold in the lower bark.

  • The Lion and the Pineapple: Subtle silhouettes formed by the tree’s ancient scars and growth rings.

“To stand before the Tule is to feel the weight of two millennia. It is a silent witness to the rise and fall of empires, anchored in the earth by roots that drink from the deep history of Oaxaca.”

A Giant Under Siege

Despite its monumental presence, the Tule tree is surprisingly fragile. As of 2026, the “Old Man of the Water” is facing a modern crisis: thirst. Rapid urban growth and increasing irrigation in the surrounding valley have caused the local water table to drop, leaving the tree’s deep root system struggling to find the moisture that has sustained it since the Roman Empire.

Conservationists are working tirelessly to manage the local watershed, ensuring that this titan continues to thrive. Visitors who travel to the gated churchyard—paying a modest 20-peso fee to support the tree’s upkeep—are reminded that they are in the presence of a living relic that requires our protection.

If You Go

The village of Tule transforms every year on the second Monday of October for the Festival of the Tule Tree, a vibrant celebration of music and tradition honoring their arboreal neighbor. For the quietest experience, visit in the early morning when the Oaxacan light first hits the upper branches, nearly 140 feet above the plaza floor.