The Ancient Ginkgo

There's a ginkgo tree that's 1,400 years old in the Zhongnan mountains at the Gu Guanyin Buddhist temple in China.

The ginkgo has remained relatively unchanged for 200 million years, predating most of the dinosaurs.

Ginkgo trees are the ideal centerpiece of an elven village or temple, and especially a druid grove. A single tree might have seen 6 or 7 generations of elves, living for 2 full lifetimes.

The sea of golden leaves that it drops, like a sunburst around it, is also a great feature.

Finally, it fits v well with a pseudo-Japanese aesthetic for the elves: wooden homes with paper screens, bonsai everywhere, and a massive golden tree at the center: that's an elven temple for sure.