georgina

In a major conservation breakthrough, a Wollemi pine, one of the world’s rarest and most ancient trees, has produced fruit outside its native Australia for the first time. The Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis) was believed extinct for millions of years until its dramatic rediscovery in 1994 in a remote canyon in New South Wales, Australia. A living fossil from the Jurassic period, it belongs to the ancient Araucariaceae family. In 2010, a couple in Worcestershire, England, purchased a young sapling. This year (2025), the tree stunned experts by simultaneously developing both male and female cones — an unprecedented event outside its native habitat. Botanists at Kew Gardens described the development as “amazing,” as it raises the real possibility of the tree producing viable seeds naturally in the UK. This milestone significantly boosts hopes for the long-term survival of this critically endangered species.