A tree genus thought extinct for 2 million years found in 1994 in a secret canyon. Fewer than 100 wild trees exist, guarded like a protected witness for plants.
AndyScott, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A botanical ghost story
In September 1994, David Noble, an officer with the New South Wales National Parks & Wildlife Service, was abseiling into a remote, steep-sided sandstone gorge in Wollemi National Park. He noticed a stand of tall, unusual trees. Bark was dark brown and strangely bubbly, and the bright green, fern-like foliage grew in a distinct pattern. Not recognizing the species, he took a small sample to be identified. Botanists were stumped.
The tree was a complete unknown to modern science, a new genus named Wollemia nobilis. The genus name, Wollemia, comes from the park where it was found, while the species name, nobilis, honors its discoverer, David Noble. This conifer belongs to the ancient Araucariaceae family, whose fossil record shows a global distribution during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Before 1994, Wollemia was only known from fossils, with the most recent "dated" at two million years old. Its rediscovery was finding a living fossil.
The Wollemi pine can grow up to 40 meters (131 feet) tall. One of its most peculiar features is its ability to self-coppice, meaning a single root base can produce multiple trunks. Some specimens have as many as 100 stems of different sizes. The tree is monoecious, bearing both male and female cones on the same plant.
Witness protection for plants
The wild population of Wollemi Pine is critically endangered, with fewer than 100 mature trees known to exist in a few small groves. The exact location of these groves is one of Australia's most protected secrets to shield them from human interference. The greatest threats are not collectors, but catastrophic fires and the introduction of foreign pathogens.
One visitor with contaminated shoes could introduce a deadly root-rot fungus, Phytophthora cinnamomi, which could wipe out the entire wild population. Access to the site is strictly limited to scientific researchers who must follow intense biosecurity protocols. The secrecy and security measures have earned the conservation effort its "witness protection" nickname.
During the devastating Australian bushfires of 2019-2020, a special mission was launched to save the trees. Firefighters were dropped into the remote canyon to set up irrigation systems, while air tankers dropped water and fire retardant to protect the grove. The operation was successful, and the ancient trees survived within their charred surroundings. The site has been declared an Asset of Intergenerational Significance, affording it the strongest legal protection in NSW national parks.
💡Fun Facts
The distinctive, knobby bark is often described as resembling bubbling dark chocolate or the breakfast cereal Coco Pops.
To help preserve the species, a global propagation program began, and since 2006, cultivated Wollemi Pines have been available for the public to purchase and plant.
The trees develop waxy, white "polar caps" over their growing tips during winter dormancy, which may help protect them from frost.
Individual trees are extremely long-lived, with some estimated to be between 500 and 1,000 years old.
The wild location is a secret and completely inaccessible to the public to ensure the trees' survival.
Admission
You can see cultivated Wollemi Pines at several botanic gardens, including the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, and the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah. Admission policies vary by garden.
Accessibility
The terrain of the secret grove is extremely rugged and requires specialized climbing gear. Cultivated specimens in botanic gardens are generally located in highly accessible areas.
