FAQ Index

What is it? What do they look like? Where did the name come from? Where are they? How were they found? How old are they? Are they protected? How can we help conserve the Wollemi Pine? Where can I see a Wollemi Pine in the UK? When can I buy one and how much will it cost? What is Wollemi Pine International? What is the association between KPP and Kew? Who is Tony Kirkham? Why are the tips of the leaves of my Wollemi Pine going brown? How does the Wollemi Pine help to offset carbon footprint? Why has my Wollemi Pine developed spots on its leaves?

What is it?

The Wollemi Pine is one of the world's oldest and rarest tree species belonging to a 200 million-year-old plant family. It was known from fossil records and presumed extinct until it was discovered in 1994 by a bushwalker in the Wollemi National Park just outside Australia's largest city, Sydney. Dubbed the botanical find of the century, the Wollemi Pine is now the focus of extensive research to conserve this ancient species. Soon you will be able to grow your own Wollemi Pine and be part of one of the most dramatic comebacks in natural history.

What do they look like?

The Wollemi Pine is a majestic conifer that grows up to 40 metres high in the wild with a trunk diameter of over one metre. It has unusual pendulous foliage with light apple green new tips in spring and early summer contrasting against the older dark green foliage. Another unique feature is its pattern of branching with the mature foliage having two ranks of leaves along the branches. Its bark is also distinct even from related species, looking very much like bubbling chocolate. The Wollemi Pine's closest living relatives are the Norfolk Island Pine, Bunya Pine, Hoop Pine, Monkey Puzzle Pine and Kauri Pine.

Where did the name come from?

The Wollemi Pine is named after the Wollemi National Park, the location where the Pines were first discovered in Sydney's now World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains. Wollemi is an Aboriginal word meaning "look around you, keep your eyes open and watch out". The scientific name Wollemia nobilis is a reflection of the Pine's majestic qualities and honours David Noble who found the first trees in 1994.

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Where are they?

The Wollemi Pine was discovered as a small grove of seedlings and mature trees only 200 kilometres west of Sydney (Australia) in the Wollemi National Park. Since then, two other small groves have been discovered. The Pines are growing on moist ledges in a deep rainforest gorge surrounded by rugged mountains and undisturbed forest. The exact location of the Pines is a closely kept secret because of the pristine and fragile nature of the wild habitat. Only select researchers are permitted to visit the area on rare occasions.

How were they found?

The Wollemi Pine was discovered in August 1994 by David Noble, a NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services Officer who, when trekking and abseiling with friends, noticed the unusual nature of the Pine and took a small fallen branch home for identification. A team of experienced botanists later declared the strange specimen a new genus with ancient lineage, making it a scientific discovery of international significance.

How old are they?

Some of the older adult Wollemi Pines such as "The Bill Tree" may be more than 1000 years old. Due to the Wollemi Pine's habit of sprouting multiple trunks (called coppicing) the current trunk of "The Bill Tree" may only be up to 400 years old but the tree's roots could have been around since the time of the Roman Empire. Although less than 100 adult trees remain, they were thought to be widespread across Gondwana, an ancient supercontinent that existed before Australia broke off from Antarctica and began its movement north. The oldest known Wollemi Pine type fossil dates back 90 million years and it is believed that the Pines may have existed since the Jurassic period 200 million years ago. Before the Pine was rediscovered in 1994, it was presumed extinct for around two million years.

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Are they protected?

Since the survival of the Pines in the wild depends on their isolation, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service have put regulations in place to minimise visits to the site and have developed a conservation strategy to protect the Pines from human activity including fire. The cultivation and worldwide release of the Pine is a key component of the conservation strategy. The Wollemi Pine has also been listed under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 as well as the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.

How can we help conserve the Wollemi Pine?

Horticultural experts believe that having Wollemi Pines in gardens, homes and parks everywhere is one of the best forms of insurance against loss in the wild. 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.

Where can I see a Wollemi Pine in the UK?

Although only a select few researchers are permitted to see the Wollemi Pine in the wild, members of the public can see trees at:

• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew



• Royal Botanic Gardens, Wakehurst , Sussex



• The Eden Project, Cornwall



• Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire



• Trentham Gardens, Staffordshire



• RHS Gardens Harlow Carr, North Yorkshire



• National Botanical Gardens of Ireland



• Batsford Arboretum



• Collett Park, Shepton Mallet, Somerset



• Hillier Gardens



• Cambridge University Botanic Garden



• Lullingstone Castle



• David Welch Winter Gardens - Aberdeen



• Mount Stewart House, Garden & Temple of the Winds

When can I buy one?

You can order your Wollemi Pine in the UK from February 2006 with anticipated delivery from September 2006. We are growing the first Wollemi Pines in large pots (3 litres) 19cm in diameter for £97 inc VAT.

If you want to be one of the first people in the world to receive your Wollemi Pine, then place your order for one of these rarities without delay to ensure delivery or alternatively, visit one of the approved Wollemi Pine stockists. Pines will arrive with an information booklet, care label, sachet of mycorrhizal "friendly" fungi to help the growth of your Pine and also a certificate of authenticity to prove that you have purchased a piece of genuine Jurassic history. The 3 litre pine is supplied in a stylish coloured, printed pot.

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What is Wollemi Pine International?

Wollemi Pine International Pty Ltd is the marketing arm of Wollemi Australia. Wollemi Australia is a joint commercial venture between the Queensland Government Department of Primary Industries (Forestry) and Birkdale Nursery. The Botanic Gardens Trust (Sydney) has licensed Wollemi Australia, to propagate and market the Wollemi Pine in Australia and internationally. 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.

What is the association between KPP and Kew?

WollemiPine.co.uk has also teamed up with conservation partners Royal Botanical Garden, Kew. Kew, have been heavily involved with the Wollemi Pine since the early years of its discovery. When Kernock Park Plants were appointed the sole licensed grower of the Wollemi Pine for the UK in December 2005 Royal Botanical Gardens Kew already had 15 Wollemi Pines which had been planted in the spring of that year. These are in different secret locations in the arboretum at Kew Gardens and also at Wakehurst Place.

Tony Kirkham, Head of Arboretum at Kew, has visited the nursery in Queensland where the Wollemi is being propagated and has personally undertaken substantial growing trials in the UK at Kew Gardens. The trial results from these plantings have given valuable information regarding the conditions under which the Wollemi Pine should be grown in the UK. In recognition of Kew's provision of expertise through Tony Kirkham and his team and the continuing assistance in the cultivation of the Wollemi Pine, Kernock Park Plants has agreed to pay Kew a royalty for every Wollemi Pine sold in 2006. This will help fund vital work in conserving other plant species around the world on the brink of extinction. WollemiPine.co.uk and RBG Kew will be working together to grow and sell the Pine through their Plant Centres at Kew and Wakehurst Place, West Sussex.

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Who is Tony Kirkham?

Tony Kirkham was born and raised in Darwen, Lancashire. After leaving home at the age of 16, Tony moved to Surrey to become a forestry apprentice. Here he got his first insight into working with trees and decided that he wanted to be a forester. He was advised against this as it was seen as a dying job in Britain and instead studied for his National Certificate in Horticulture (arb) where he qualified with the best practical marks in his year.  Tony then moved to Hamburg as the Germans were pioneers in arboriculture in Europe at that time. Here Tony learnt a lot about tree management within urban and park environments and also in Hamburg Botanic Gardens.

Ironically, Tony came to Kew to escape trees and study for the Kew Diploma to broaden his knowledge in horticulture. An experience that he says was the highlight of his career, Tony graduated with honours, but more importantly he realised that trees were where his passion lay. Tony was the only student to be offered a job at Kew upon graduation, and he spent the next 14 years managing part of Kew’s arboretum. During this time, Tony completed many expeditions plant collecting in East Asia, with the aim of adding to the tree collection and replacing trees that were lost in the storm of 1987.

He currently holds a top in arboriculture – Head of the Arboretum and Horticultural Services at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Tony, and his team of over thirty staff and students are responsible for the management of over 10,000 trees in the living collection at Kew amongst many other responsibilities. Alongside this, Tony also manages to champion many other projects for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, including achieving the ISO140001 award for sustainability in 2005, and hardiness trials of the Australian ‘jurassic’ tree to the UK Climate.

Tony Kirkham is recognised worldwide as an expert in arboriculture and is regularly asked to organise conferences and give lectures across the world. He is the author of two books. In his latest book, entitled ‘Plants from the Edge of the World’ (Timber Press, 2005), Tony shares his and co-writer and expedition partner Mark Flanagan’s experiences on expeditions.  Tony is also the author of the indispensable reference guide to the ‘Pruning of trees, shrubs and conifers’ (Timber Press, 2004) and many other articles for a diverse range of publications. Tony has also made numerous television and radio appearances and now has his own series that will air on BBC Two in Autumn 2006, entitled ‘The Trees that made Britain’.

Tony recently ran in the ‘Treeathlon’ to support the Trees for Cities campaign for more trees in urban areas in the UK, and states “looking at trees anywhere in the world” as one of his hobbies, something that he regularly gets to indulge by working at Kew Gardens. It is clear that, to Tony, trees are more of a life passion than a job.

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Why are the tips of the leaves of my Wollemi Pine going brown?

Note that a yellow tinge and minor browning on the very tips of the leaflets is a normal and common occurrence in both the wild and cultivated Wollemi Pines.

A: Yellow colour at tips of leaflets is a natural occurrence in Wollemi Pines2
B: Severe case of tipping, likely induced by one of the three factors described

LeafTipsDetails

There are three possible reasons for the tips of the leaves of the Wollemi Pine to go brown.

• Insufficient water, which causes the ends of the branches to die back.


• An incorrect pH balance of the soil or growing media.


• Insufficient fertiliser or too much fertiliser. Always ensure controlled release fertiliser is evenly placed around the tree and not in contact with the stem.

How does the Wollemi Pine help to offset carbon footprint?

Planting trees is one of the easiest ways to offset your carbon footprint and become carbon neutral.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and wood. Trees can sequester (i.e. absorb) the atmospheric carbon as part of the process of photosynthesis, which enables them to grow.

Through this process, carbon dioxide is converted into stored carbon, and this is why trees are sometimes referred to as ‘carbon sinks’. By taking this carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, trees clean the air.

Planting just 1 Wollemi Pine will help to offset over 2% of own carbon footprint.

How much CO2 will a Wollemi Pine sequester?

This is a difficult question to give an exact answer to due to the fact that no 2 Wollemi Pines seem to grow in the same manner and the first tree was only planted in the UK in 2005. The typical form of Wollemi Pine in the wild is a tall long-lived tree that has a coppicing habit. Mature trees are usually multi-trunked with up to 100 stems of various sizes. The oldest tree in the wild is 1000 years old and has 100 trunks due to the ability of the tree to coppice. The Bill Tree; the tallest tree in the wild is 40 metres tall but this is because it is growing in a canyon. We expect Wollemi Pines in the UK to grow to an ultimate height of about 20 metres in good growing conditions.

To enable us to calculate the quantity of CO2 sequestered we must look to a close relation of the Wollemi Pine; the Hoop Pine (Araucaria cunninghamii) which has a density of 575Kg/cubic metre at 12% moisture content. The weight of a tree normally shrinks by about 10% in drying so it would be expected that the Hoop Pine will weigh about 630Kg/cubic metre when growing. Green Peace states on its web site that “One tonne of carbon in wood or forest bio-mass represents about 3.5 tonnes of atmospheric C02. Without going into atomic chemistry 100 Kg of dried wood contains approximately 45Kg of carbon; equivalent to 160Kg of atmospheric C02”

So we must assume that every 100Kg of growing tree would take in 160Kg of atmospheric CO2. Based on the figures above a single trunk of a mature Wollemi Pine with an average radius of 1 metre, being 20 metres tall should weigh 12,600Kg which equates to the tree having the possibility of sequestering 20,160Kg of atmospheric CO2 over 100 years, or 210Kgs per year

Out of interest the average carbon footprint in the UK is 9,400Kg per person per year. (Mark Lynas The Guardian, Wednesday January 24 2007) - So each person would need to plant about 45 Wollemi Pines per year to be Carbon neutral.

Why has my Wollemi Pine developed spots on its leaves?

These spots or sap blisters are a fairly common occurrence and are completely natural; they are not evidence of a disease or insect attack and rarely affect the overall health of the tree. It is assumed that they are a part of the same mechanism that helps the tree to produce the 'polar cap' but rather than sending the exudates to the growing tip they find their way out through the stomata in the leaves.