| Claim to fame |
One of the world's oldest and rarest trees |
| Scientific name |
Wollemia nobilis |
| Family |
Araucariaceae |
| Relatives |
Kauri, Norfolk Island, Hoop, Bunya and Monkey Puzzle pines |
| When discovered |
1994 |
| Where discovered |
200km west of Sydney in a rainforest gorge within the 500,000 hectare
Wollemi National Park in the Blue Mountains |
| Discovered by |
David Noble, a NSW National Parks and Wildlife Officer and avid bushwalker |
| Age |
The Wollemi Pine belongs to the 200 million year old Araucariaceae
family |
| Oldest known fossil |
90 million years |
| Wild population |
Less than 100 mature trees |
| Characteristics |
Conifer with attractive, unusual dark green foliage, bubbly bark and
sprouts multiple trunks |
| Growth habit |
Fast growing in light, favours acid soils, and temperatures from - 5 to 45°C (23 to 113°F). Trials in the USA and Japan have indicated
that it will survive temperatures as cold as -12°C (10.4 °F).
|
| Size |
The largest wild Wollemi Pine in the rainforest gorge is 40m tall with
a main trunk of 63cm in width |
| Release date |
2006 (check here for more details) |
| Conservation |
Royalties from sales of the Wollemi Pine to support conservation
of the Wollemi Pine and other rare and endangered plant species |
| Best use |
Unique gift for special occasions (birthday, wedding, christening), a stunning
patio and indoor plant (in well lit positions) and feature tree for parks and large
gardens |
