naturebriefs
9:49in productionCh. 1 · No fossils. No Jurassic./ 9:49 · ceiling 15 min
Plants & trees · Conservation

Wollemia

A tree that survived 200 million years by not changing—and now survives only because we drop fire retardant on it.

Wollemia nobilis is a coniferous tree in the Araucariaceae family, discovered in 1994 in temperate rainforest gorges of Wollemi National Park, New South Wales. It is phylogenetically sister to Agathis—not Araucaria—and represents one of only three living genera in its family. Fewer than 60 adult trees exist, all genetically identical—proof of a bottleneck so severe it erased all variation. It has been infected with Phytophthora and endangered by fire—twice—and saved both times by targeted human action. Citizen science confirmed it grows well outside Australia—but only where climate and soil match narrow temperate conditions.

Plants & treesConservationDeep timeBiodiversityGeneticsDeep time across the network →
Chapters & takeaways4
  1. 1:08
    No fossils. No Jurassic.

    It is not a relic of the Jurassic—it is a living genus with no unambiguous fossil record, placed beside Agathis by modern phylogenetics.

  2. 2:35
    One genotype, four locations

    Fewer than 60 adult trees exist, all genetically identical—proof of a bottleneck so severe it erased all variation.

  3. 4:16
    Saved twice, by hose and helicopter

    It has been infected with Phytophthora and endangered by fire—twice—and saved both times by targeted human action.

  4. 5:48
    Grows well—only where it’s told to

    Citizen science confirmed it grows well outside Australia—but only where climate and soil match narrow temperate conditions.

Worth your time?

Yes. See the whole thing.

4/ 5
What works
  • persistence of ancient lineages in microrefugia
  • value of citizen science in testing cultivation limits
  • utility of global ex-situ propagation as insurance
What does not
  • reproduce sexually in the wild
  • tolerate Phytophthora cinnamomi infection without treatment
  • survive bushfire without irrigation and retardant
See it if
  • botanists tracking clonal survival
  • conservation planners managing genetically depauperate species
  • land managers trialling fire-and-disease resilience in ancient conifers
Skip it if
  • gardeners seeking genetic diversity
  • seed collectors
  • ecologists studying pollination networks
The written brief1 min read

What the species is and where it came from

Wollemia nobilis is a coniferous tree in the Araucariaceae family. It was discovered in 1994 in temperate rainforest gorges of Wollemi National Park, New South Wales. It is phylogenetically sister to Agathis—not Araucaria—and represents one of only three living genera in its family.

How it works, in terms someone would actually use

It grows in temperate rainforest gorges on steep, sheltered sandstone slopes. It survives fire and disease only through human intervention. It reproduces clonally in the wild. It thrives in cultivation where rainfall is year-round and soils are loamy and well-drained.

What it gets right

It gets right the persistence of ancient lineages in microrefugia. It gets right the value of citizen science in testing cultivation limits. It gets right the utility of global ex-situ propagation as insurance.

What it does not

It does not reproduce sexually in the wild. It does not tolerate Phytophthora cinnamomi infection without treatment. It does not survive bushfire without irrigation and retardant.

What it changed

It changed how conservation treats genetic uniformity: not as a warning sign to be corrected, but as an immutable condition demanding bespoke protection.

Who it is for, and who it is not

It is for botanists tracking clonal survival, conservation planners managing genetically depauperate species, and land managers trialling fire-and-disease resilience in ancient conifers. It is not for gardeners seeking genetic diversity, seed collectors, or ecologists studying pollination networks.

Is it worth your time

Yes—if you want to see a species that has survived millennia by chance, not adaptation, and now depends entirely on coordinated human action to persist.

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