World Oldest Tree Clocks in at almost 10K

Caught the following story and it piqued my interest:
“Swedish researchers find world’s oldest living tree”

Prior to reading the story I felt sorry for the (forgive the phrasing) poor sap that had to count all the rings. But little did I know that carbon dating was used to date the 9.550 year-old spruce (I wonder if it’s related to Treebeard?)

I’m not a dendrologist nor do I play one on this blog, but does a tree that old have thousands of rings in its trunk?

If 10,000 years could be accurately counted using a tree’s growth rings, what would Bishop Ussher, the man who calculated the day of Creation sometime in October of 4004 B.C., have to say about that?

Well we know what another erudite and wizened (though fictional) creature might say, “When 9,000 years old you reach, look as good you will not!”