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 Once thought to be extinct, the Wollemi Pine is making one of the most amazing comebacks in the history of the natural world. Very soon, you could be the caretaker of one of these rare trees yourself.
Up until 1994, fossil evidence was all that we had to prove that they ever existed. Then a chance discovery of 100 of these ancient plants was made in a rugged rainforest gorge in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. Since then, horticulturists have been busy propagating and learning about their qualities so that we can grow them in our own gardens.
Officially, it is a close relative of the Norfolk Island, Hoop and Bunya Pines and when you look closer, you can see it has all the typical characteristics of a conifer - attractive, dark green ferny foliage with a distinctive rough bark that takes on an unusual bubbly look with age.
The Wollemi pine makes a terrific pot plant for a patio and it will even tolerate being indoors. In a large garden, it will make an exceptional feature tree. You can plant one in a smaller garden too if you like because it will tolerate regular pruning, even hard pruning.
Growing one of these ancient wonders is easy. In a pot, just keep it moist and remember to top it up with a slow release fertiliser every 3-4 months. In the ground, it likes a slightly acid to neutral pH and once established should be quite drought tolerant.
These prehistoric Wollemi Pines will be available in nurseries from April 2006. Numbers are limited so you need to order them to avoid dissapointment.
Phone Alstonville Garden Centre Wollongbar on (02) 6628 7866 or click here to find a stockist near you.
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