King Clone: The Desert's Ancient Survivor

Elle
Aug 9
4 min read

Meet One of Earth's Oldest Living Organisms

Deep in California's Mojave Desert, near Johnson Valley, lives one of the most remarkable plants on Earth. It doesn't look like much at first glance, just a ring of scraggly bushes scattered across the desert floor. But this humble collection of creosote bushes, known as King Clone, holds an incredible secret: it's been alive for nearly 12,000 years, making it one of the oldest living organisms on our planet.

What Makes King Clone So Special?

King Clone isn't just any ordinary plant. It's what scientists call a clonal colony, essentially one giant organism that has been copying itself for thousands of years. The entire ring, which stretches about 70 feet across (roughly the length of a basketball court), is actually a single individual plant that has been growing continuously since the end of the last Ice Age.

To put this in perspective, King Clone was already ancient when the Egyptian pyramids were built. It was flourishing when the Roman Empire reached its peak. It has watched the rise and fall of entire civilizations, all while quietly surviving in the harsh Mojave Desert.

How Does a Plant Live for 12,000 Years?

The secret to King Clone's incredible longevity lies in its unique survival strategy. The creosote bush (scientifically known as Larrea tridentata) has mastered the art of cloning itself. Here's how it works:

The Original Plant: Thousands of years ago, a single creosote bush sprouted from a seed in what is now Johnson Valley.
Root System Expansion: As the plant matured, its root system spread outward underground, sometimes extending 30 feet or more from the original bush.
New Growth: When the plant reached 30-90 years old, new shoots began sprouting from the extensive root system, creating genetic copies (clones) of the original plant.
The Ring Formation: Over time, the original central plant died, but the cloned bushes around the edges continued growing. As this process repeated over millennia, the living bushes formed the ring we see today, with a bare center where the original plant once stood.

Built to Survive the Desert

Creosote bushes are incredibly well-adapted to desert life, which explains how King Clone has survived for so long in one of Earth's harshest environments:

Water Conservation: The plant can shut down its leaves during drought, going dormant until water becomes available again.
Deep Roots: Its extensive root system can access groundwater far below the surface.
Chemical Defense: The bush produces a sticky resin that protects it from insects and prevents other plants from growing too close.
Efficient Photosynthesis: Its small, waxy leaves minimize water loss while still producing energy from sunlight.

A Living Time Capsule

Scientists estimate King Clone's age by measuring how fast creosote rings expand and working backward. The clonal colony is thought to have begun growing 11,700 years ago, around the time human agriculture began. This makes King Clone a living witness to human history and climate changes over thousands of years.

The plant has survived ice ages, volcanic eruptions, droughts, floods, and countless other environmental changes. By studying King Clone and other ancient creosote colonies, scientists can learn about how desert ecosystems respond to long-term climate change.

Where to Find King Clone

The scrubby little creosote bush, known as King Clone, sits in an untidy ring just off Bessemer Mine Road, not far from Pioneertown. The plant is located within the King Clone Ecological Reserve, a 488-acre protected area managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

However, King Clone isn't easy to spot. Unlike towering redwoods or massive oak trees, this ancient organism blends into the desert landscape. The largest of the bunch, referred to as King Clone, measures approximately 22 by 8 meters, appearing rectangular from a bird's eye view.

Threats to an Ancient Survivor

Despite surviving for nearly 12,000 years, King Clone faces modern challenges:

Off-road vehicles: The plant is located miles deep into the dusty dirt-bike and dune-buggy playground known as the Johnson Valley Off-Road Vehicle Recreation Area.
Development: Urban expansion and infrastructure projects threaten desert habitats.
Climate change: Even though creosote bushes are drought-tolerant, rapid climate changes could stress these ancient organisms.
Vandalism: Unfortunately, some visitors damage the plants by breaking branches or carving into them.

Why King Clone Matters

King Clone represents much more than just an old plant. It's a symbol of resilience and adaptation, showing us how life can persist through incredible challenges over vast periods of time. This ancient organism has lessons to teach us about:

Survival strategies: How to adapt to harsh conditions and limited resources
Longevity: The benefits of slow, steady growth over rapid expansion
Ecosystem stability: How organisms can maintain balance over thousands of years
Climate history: What past environmental conditions were like

A Humble Giant

Considered to be among the planet's most ancient organisms, the King Clone Creosote may hold the key to understanding the desert and its secrets. While it may not have the majesty of a giant sequoia or the fame of an ancient bristlecone pine, King Clone is truly one of nature's most remarkable survivors.

The next time you think about what it means to be ancient or enduring, remember this unassuming ring of desert bushes that has quietly witnessed nearly the entire span of human civilization. In a world that often values the new and flashy, King Clone reminds us of the incredible power of persistence, adaptation, and the quiet strength found in simply surviving, one day at a time, for thousands of years.