The Wollemi Pine: 30 years since the discovery of a living fossil

By James Nicklen

This year marks 30 years since one of the most significant botanical discoveries of modern times – the discovery of the ancient and presumed extinct Wollemi Pine in a remote gorge in the Blue Mountains (‘Wollemi’ is an Aboriginal word meaning “look around you, keep your eyes open and watch out”). While the tree remains critically endangered, with fewer than 100 of them existing in the wild, its long-term survival is now safeguarded thanks to conservation and propagation efforts.

Fossil evidence indicates that ancestors of the Wollemi Pine existed up to 200 million years ago during the Jurassic period, with tree itself dating back to the mid-Cretaceous, and possibly even the early Cretaceous period, some 110 million years ago This fact, coupled with the rarity of the discovery being likened to finding a living dinosaur, has earned it the nickname, the “dinosaur tree”. Now considered a “living fossil”, experts had concluded from fossil evidence that the Wollemi Pine had become extinct approximately 2 million years ago. That was, until its sensational rediscovery.

The chance encounter occurred on 10 September 1994 when New South Wales National Parks Ranger David Noble was exploring the 500,000-hectare Wollemi National Park in the Blue Mountains, 200km northwest of Sydney. While abseiling down a remote rainforest gorge, he noticed an unusual looking tree and collected a branch, which he later passed onto the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney for identification. Botanists were stunned to find the sample represented a genus of tree that was part of the 200-million-year-old Araucariaceae family which includes Norfolk Island, Bunya, Hoop, and Kauri pines. Further exploration found that there were up to 100 Wollemi Pine trees living in the National Park. While most of the trees found were mature trees that could be over 1000 years old, some were younger regrowth sprouting from the base of older trunks

This ability to spontaneously sprout, or ‘coppice’, multiple trunks from its base has been instrumental to the species’ survival and helping it to withstand damage from fire and other natural disasters.

The Wollemi Pine has a striking prehistoric appearance. Juvenile leaves are green fronds that turn bluish as the tree matures. Older Wollemi Pines develop brown bubbly bark and adult leaves arranged in two rows along branches, reminiscent of a Stegosaurus’ spiked tail. The Wollemi Pine grows to a height of 40 metres in its natural habitat with a trunk diameter of over one metre. However, in cultivation they can reach a maximum height of 20 metres. The Pines have grown in temperatures from -5 to 45°C and trials in the USA and Japan have indicated that it will survive temperatures as cold as -12°C. They are fast growing, respond well to light and favour acidic soils. In winter, Wollemi Pines form “polar caps” of white waxy coatings on their growing tips for protection from the cold.

Genetic analysis found Wollemi pines have extremely low natural genetic diversity. Nevertheless, the species has clearly demonstrated its resilience against major disturbances and upheaval over millions of years of history. Safeguarding the future of this “dinosaur tree” quickly became a priority for conservationists who realised the Wollemi pine remained critically endangered in the wild due to its small, isolated population. The exact location of the trees in the Wollemi National Park remains a closely guarded secret. Access is highly restricted with only a select few scientists permitted to visit on rare occasions to monitor the health of the pines and their habitat. Fires, climate change, introduced pathogens and human interference continue to pose risks. Onsite conservation efforts focus on managing these threats.

The second prong of the conservation effort has focused on establishing Wollemi pine populations outside its native habitat through commercial propagation. With wild collection of seeds and specimens deemed too risky, an ambitious propagation program was launched using plants raised from original wild seeds and cuttings. The goal has been large-scale cultivation to get Wollemi pines established in gardens, parks and collections globally. This reduces reliance on the wild stands and acts as an insurance population.

And to launch this conservation effort, in 2005, just over a decade after its initial discovery, the Wollemi pine was officially introduced to the world by the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, with an international Sotheby's auction of the ‘Collector’s Edition’ trees the following year. Several preview events showcasing the Wollemi Pine took place in London, Frankfurt and Tokyo in the lead up to the Sydney auction. Each Collector’s Edition tree could be traced back to its parent tree in the wild, with fewer than 300 trees available as part of 148 lots for auction, ranging from single trees to an avenue of 20 trees from the same parent. Six groves of trees were each dedicated to conservation organisations in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Germany and Japan.

The Van Berkel family were originally tasked with shipping the Wollemi Pine to enthusiasts across Australia, and Van Berkel Distributors have been intricately involved with the Wollemi pine since its -public release in 2006. “We got involved a few years after 94 when they had found the trees and they were into the propagating and working out how to release it,” says David van Berkel. “And the theory was that if we can repopulate it and get it into home gardens, that's probably the best way for the tree to survive.”

The family now proudly hold the rights to both the tree’s propagation and the trademark ‘The Wollemi Pine’ globally. Distribution is currently limited to Australia, though the family aspire to once again share this botanical marvel with enthusiasts worldwide.

As royalties from Wollemi Pine sales will fund ongoing conservation research, buying a Pine will not only help to protect the species but will also safeguard its continued survival.

The Wollemi Pine remains critically endangered, but its longterm survival is now more secure thanks to propagation efforts. Countless specimens now grace backyards, parks and botanic gardens across the world. The Wollemi Pine is a true “living fossil” that provides a direct connection to the distant age of dinosaurs, millions of years in the making.