The conifer species Wollemia nobilis is unknown to most people. There is an incredible story behind this plant. In this article, embark on a journey into the past and into the future at the same time. Because thanks to the propagation of cuttings, botanists have managed to preserve this ancient tree to this day.
Wollemia nobilis can be easily propagated by cuttings
A conifer from another time
Wollemia nobilis is not a conifer like any other. If trees could tell stories, this plant would be able to tell what the world looked like 200 million years ago. Because botanists estimate the tree, which was discovered in Australia in 1994, to be this old.
It was a sensational find. On the one hand, this conifer species was completely new to scientists, on the other hand, they believed up to this point in time that trees that already existed in the time of the dinosaurs were long extinct.
It was all the more important for the researchers to continue the existence of the plant. Fortunately, the attempt to take cuttings from the conifer and grow them in large quantities was successful.
Although the popularity of Wollemia nobilis has by no means declined, it has now lost its rarity. Thanks to the effective multiplication with cuttings, it is now marketed all over the world.
Facts about Wollemia nobilis
- belongs to the Araucaria family
- grows up to 35 m high
- nowadays only occurs in the wild in the southern hemisphere
- forms reddish-orange inflorescences
- the flowers are monoecious, meaning that Wollemia nobilis has male and female flowers
- slender crown
- Bark is covered with vesicles
- carries rounded needles up to 8 cm long
- the seeds in the cones are mature after two years
- they provide a food source for birds and mice
The crucial role of the cuttings
From the above list, Wollemia nobilis also forms seeds. These are also suitable for propagation. But why do botanists prefer the cuttings variant?
The advantage of this method of propagation is that the next generation resembles the mother plant down to the smallest detail. The amazing properties of this tree, which has existed for 200 million years, can thus be preserved 100%. In the case of propagation by sowing, this guarantee is not given. Mutations can certainly occur here.