TREASURED TREES Since that first extraordinary discovery, two more small populations have been found. However, there are so few Wollemi pines in the wild that they are categorized as a Critically Endangered species. When something is as rare as this tree, collectors often come calling. To protect these ancient treasures, their exact locations remain a closely guarded secret. But scientists and horticulturists are working to ensure the species survives, and is known to the world. One way is through propagation techniques
and growing the trees in gardens. Actually, it is possible to buy a Wollemi pine yourself—the proceeds from sales of plants and seeds help support the research and preservation of the species in the wild. In the Blue Mountains, the biggest tree towers 130 feet above the ground and is about 10 feet wide. The Wollemi pines at the Safari Park and Zoo are young, though, and have a long way to grow. As they do, their appearance will change. Right now, the bark has a rough texture, but older trees have bark that seems to be covered in brownish-black bubbles. The way the trees branch out often creates characteristic multiple trunks as well, another odd growth pattern for a conifer. Watching the Wollemi pines grow at the Park over the next decades is something worth pointing out to friends and family—not to mention sharing their “long lost” story. On your next stroll through Walkabout Australia, stop to marvel at this blast from the past that’s come “Back to the Future!”
DID YOU KNOW? Buds that appear on the tips of Wollemi branches are the beginnings of the reproductive cones. These trees are dioecious, meaning they bear both female and male cones—and they look quite different! Female cones are three inches wide and globular, while four-inch-long male cones are elongated and droop. Female cones tend to develop above male cones, but wind carries the fine pollen around and upward to fertilize future seeds.