The Burmis Tree is a limber pine

Limber Pine

The Limber Pine, Pinus flexilis, is a species of pine tree-the family Pinaceae that occurs in the mountains of the Western United States, Mexico, and Canada. It is also called Southwestern White Pine and Rocky Mountain White Pine...

 located in south western Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

 along the Crowsnest Highway

Crowsnest Highway

The Crowsnest Highway, also known as the Interprovincial or, in British Columbia, the Southern Trans-Provincial, is an east-west highway, in length, through the southern parts of British Columbia and Alberta, providing the shortest highway connection between British Columbia's Lower Mainland and...

 and east of municipality of Crowsnest Pass

Crowsnest Pass, Alberta

The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass is a specialized municipality located in the Crowsnest Pass of the Rocky Mountains in southwest Alberta, Canada. The municipality formed as a result of the amalgamation of five municipalities – the Village of Bellevue, the Town of Blairmore, Town of Coleman, the...

. The tree died in the late 1970s after losing its needles. Its age was estimated to be between 600 and 750 years old. In 1998, it was toppled by wind, however members of local community refused to leave it lying. Efforts were made to fix the tree back up using rods and brackets. In 2004, vandals cut one of the tree's main branches. Locals again came to the rescue with a gallon or two of glue and a prop pole. The community rallied to have the new Highway 3 built around the tree rather than destroy the heritage symbol it has become. It is purported to be one of the most photographed trees in the world.