Land+Living: Wollemi Pines, <i>Wollemia nobilis</i>

Events, Landscape, Misc — October 16, 2005 Posted by James

Rediscovered 11 years ago, one of the world's oldest and rarest trees on display

A public exhibition at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, is currently running through October 22, and will culminate in an international Sotheby's auction of the Collectors Edition trees on October 23, 2005.

The installation at Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens will replicate the secret grove where the Pines were first discovered.The auction will feature fewer than 300 first generation Pines grown from cuttings taken from the wild population. Each Collectors Edition tree can be traced back to its parent tree in the wild. Proceeds will benefit conservation efforts of the Wollemi Pine and other rare species. In addition, six groves of five trees each will be dedicated to conservation organizations in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Germany and Japan.

The general release of smaller Wollemi Pine pot plants will take place internationally in April 2006.

Wollemi Pine International

The Wollemi Pine is one of the world's oldest and rarest plants dating back to the time of the dinosaurs. With less than 100 adult trees known to exist in the wild, the Wollemi Pine is now the focus of extensive research to safeguard its survival. By 2005/6 you will be able to assist in the conservation effort by growing your own Wollemi Pine and becoming part of one of the most dramatic comebacks in natural history.

Photos © J.Plaza - Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney

5 comments

Comments (5)

Jeff Emeyer — October 17, 2005
Deplorable and disgusting

This is complete shameless profiteering. Wrapped in the cloak of "conservation" all they have done is create a false market for profit. If they were really comitted to reintroducing the species, they would make sure to make them available to everyone at the lowest possible price. NOT by auctioning them off at Southeby's. Despicable! "The Botanic Gardens Trust (Sydney) has licensed Wollemi Australia, to propagate and market the Wollemi Pine in Australia and internationally." Really gross. Please send them an email and tell them that rather than having a slick web-site and marketing strategy they should stick to their other comment on their website "It was decided in the Wollemi Pine Recovery Plan that in order to protect the wild population, having Wollemi Pines in gardens, homes, and parks throughout the world is a key conservation strategy." Explain to me how auctioning them off for $1500-$50000 does this? -Jeff

James — October 18, 2005
Not for profit

Jeff, I don't think you read very carefully. The auction is only of the trees propagated from the first cutting following the discovery. If you read further, it says that the trees will go on sale in April to the general public at nurseries internationally. The auction is only of the "first collector's edition" and, as far as I can gather, is NOT for profit and seems to be to be a perfectly reasonable way to raise interest AND a great deal of money which goes to conservation efforts. What is wrong with letting those who can afford to pay the price raise money for conservation? Quoted from the website: "Through public participation, we will repopulate the Wollemi Pine and return royalties to fund conservation of the Pines in the wild and other threatened and endangered species."

m.smith — October 26, 2005
The future!

Outrageous commercial exploitation of an Australian native! Come the revolution,the trees will be snatched away and planted for the benefit of young people in aggro-forestry communities free from corporate greed.

Dean Thomson — April 16, 2006
Thanks for conserving the Wollemi Pine

I'm just glad to see another variety of tree that God created on the 3rd day (Genesis 1:11) survived to this time period. It's really neat to see all the variation in the animal, fish and plant life also that God made. Oh, yes verse 26 speaks of man being given dominion over the fish, the birds, the creeping things and dominion over all the earth, surely this includes the trees and surely it means that we are to take good care of the creation He has before us. A hearty thanks to all the scientists who are involved in saving the Wollemi pine for future generations.

Alex — May 11, 2008
Great Idea

i believe that re-introducing the Wollemi Pine from cuttings is a great idea. i can understand how the first set that are grown from original cuttings will be worth a lot of money. however, i think that now afterwards, they should charge considerably less.