What is the Wollemi pine?
The Wollemi pine is an ancient conifer discovered alive in 1994 in a remote gorge of Wollemi National Park, northwest of Sydney. It was previously known only from fossils millions of years old.
The trees were found by David Noble, a national parks officer, while canyoning. Fewer than 100 adult trees grow in the wild, in a few small groves whose exact location is kept secret.
The Wollemi pine belongs to the Araucariaceae family, along with bunya and hoop pines. Its bark looks like bubbling chocolate.
Saving the pine
During the 2019-20 bushfires, firefighters protected the wild grove using water bombers and sprinkler systems.
Wollemi pines have been propagated from cuttings and sold to the public since 2005, helping protect the wild trees by reducing the temptation for collectors to visit the site. Visitors are banned from the wild groves because they could spread diseases such as Phytophthora root rot.
Today Wollemi pines grow in botanic gardens and private gardens around the world, from Sydney to London. Scientists have also planted insurance populations in secret locations within the national park.
Did You Know?
Wollemia nobilis is named after both Wollemi National Park and its discoverer, David Noble.