How to spot a
Wollemi pine tree
The Wollemi pine tree is a majestic conifer that grows up to 130 feet tall (40 meters) in the wild, with a trunk diameter of over three feet (one meter). It has unusual pendulous foliage, with apple-green new tips in spring and early summer contrasting against the older dark green foliage.
| 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 | 125 miles west of Sydney in a rainforest gorge within the 500,000 hectare Wollemi National Park in the Blue Mountains |
| DISCOVERED BY | Avid bushwalker David Noble, a NSW National Parks and Wildlife Officer |
| AGE | The Wollemi pine tree 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, favors acid soils, and temperatures from 23-113°F (-5 to 45°C). Trials in the US and Japan have indicated that it will survive temperatures as cold as 10.4°F (-12°C). Hardy in USDA Zone 7-11 |
| SIZE | The largest wild Wollemi pine tree in the rainforest gorge is 130 feet (40m) tall with a main trunk of 2 feet (63cm) in width |
| RELEASE DATE | 2006 |
| CONSERVATION | Royalties from sales of the Wollemi pine tree support conservation of the Wollemi pine tree 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 |