Endangered 'living fossil' trees given new homes at two RHS Gardens

‘Dinosaur trees’ saved from extinction in an exciting plant conservation project at RHS Garden Wisley and RHS Garden Rosemoor

A rare species of conifer tree, the Wollemi pine (dubbed the ‘dinosaur tree’), which survived two major ice ages, is now facing the threat of Australian wildfires. To save the trees from extinction, an international conservation effort has been launched, which includes planting these endangered trees at RHS Wisley in Surrey, and RHS Rosemoor in Devon.

The Wollemi pine was believed to have become extinct about 70-90 million years ago. However, in 1994, Australian botanist David Noble discovered a cluster of living trees while trekking through a remote gorge in the Wollemi National Park in New South Wales. This discovery was hailed as one of the most important of its kind, and a significant effort was made to preserve these wild trees in the Blue Mountains. The deep valley where they were growing had helped buffer them from climate extremes.

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Wollemi National Park, Australia, where endangered Wollemi pines were found in 1994

The Wollemi pine can grow up to 40 metres tall and has fern-like green leaves that grow in dense clusters. Now critically endangered, this tree existed 200 million years ago during the Jurassic period, when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Despite surviving geological climate change, including two ice ages, the trees were almost destroyed by man-made climate change when wildfires swept through eastern Australia in 2019-20, nearly wiping them out.

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Bush fire in the Blue Mountains, Australia, which nearly destroyed the Wollemi pines in 2019/20

Due to the ever-increasing risk of wildfires and the spread of pests and diseases, Botanic Gardens of Sydney teamed up with Forestry England and organized a planting initiative that aimed to create a rich, genetically diverse population of these wild trees worldwide. On Monday 30 November 2023, botanist and broadcaster James Wong launched the initiative at Bedgebury National Pinetum, where he helped plant six Wollemi pines.

RHS Wisley and RHS Rosemoor were among 28 botanic gardens across the UK and Europe chosen to receive part of a collection of 170 young Wollemi pine trees. The trees were shipped from the Botanic Gardens of Sydney and cared for at a Forestry England tree nursery.  Separate collections of trees were also sent from Sydney directly to five Australian gardens and one in Atlanta, USA.

© Dave Blackwell

Endangered Wollemi pines planted in their new home on Battleston Hill at RHS Garden Wisley

Tim Upson, RHS Director of Horticulture and Gardens, said “We are thrilled to be part of the extraordinary story of the Wollemi pine, which has travelled all the way over from the Blue Mountains of Australia – a long lost relative of the monkey puzzle tree, the Wollemi is a true survivor. 

We are thrilled to be part of the extraordinary story of the Wollemi Pine, which has travelled all the way over from the Blue Mountains of Australia

“Six Wollemi pines around 3 or 4 feet high have been planted at RHS Garden Wisley, and another six at RHS Garden Rosemoor – both are suitable but different climates with it being much wetter in Devon. They will be cared for and carefully monitored by the curatorial teams and allowed to grow to full maturity.” 

The Rosemoor team said it was such a privilege to plant the Wollemi pines

Watch the story of the RHS Wollemi pines