Wollemia nobilis

Description: A notable plant with a fascinating and very recent as well as ancient history.  The plants are rich green coloured evergreen conifers with a single trunk from which radiate horizontal branches covered in broad flat needle like leaves.  These somewhat resembe large Taxus (Yew) and are related to the well known Monkey Puzzle Tree from South America.  The new growth in spring is soft green.

Uses: Grow as a specimen plant and as a talking point.  Excellent for planting at special occasions.

Climate/Position: A protected site is required as it is a rain forest plant but is proving to be hardier than anticipated.

Height/Spread: In the wild specimens are up to 40 metres tall but UK height is still unknown

Soil Requirements: Free draining soil

Pruning: no pruning needed.

Special Requirements:  Ensure protection to young plants using a shade netting on framework around the plant to protect from wind is helpful.

Additional Interest: A recent discovery of an ancient tree has made this conifer world renowned.  Found in the wild in 1994 in a deep gorge in the Blue mountains near Sydney Australia by David Noble a National Park warden, this plant was previously deemed to be extinct. Fossilized records of the plant show its existence 90 million years ago.  Today, after only 20 years the number of plants available globally has been made possible by vegetative propagation ( cuttings and micropropagation)  and its precarious future is now secure thought there are only 100 plants remaining in the wild.