Guys I have been following the Wollemi story ever since it broke, here in Australia. My specimen is now about 7 yrs old and going great guns. We had a VERY wet summer a couple of years ago and the growing tip looked like it was dying. The following spring it was a bit slow in getting going again, but when it did, it put on three leaders and a couple of new shoots from the base. With 5 active growing points, it was definately slower growing, last year, compared to previous years As posters have pointed out, there is very limited genetic diversity, but there is some. There have been 3 stands located, totalling about 100 'individual' trees, 2 of which are genetically identical, while the 3rd shows some variation. The exact location of the canyon where they are, is still a closely guarded secret, though some canyoners and bush walkers have found it. The first time I saw one, at Mt Annon Botanical Garden, my immediate response was "I have seen this before, somewhere!". Knowing the canyon where they had been located, was somewhere in the vicinity of Newnes, I realised that I had probably, totally unknowingly, seen them a few years earlier. A group of us had decided to go canyoning near Newnes, and our "trusty leader" assured us that we wouldn't need wetsuits etc, as our planned route was totally dry. We knew we were not on the proper route when we came to a point where there was a hole, at least 6-8 ft deep and about 20 ft across, full of beautiful, clear, cold water. The only way forward was down to undies and swim. The girls were NOT impressed. Looking back, I bet we walked passed them without realising whart they were, apart from, obviously, being one of the Araucaria. It has been shown to propagate quite well from cuttings, and naturally coppices. Seeds were located on and around the trees, but no seedlings were observed in the wild. This could be due to insufficient light/moisture in the canyon because the seeds have been shown to be viable in controlled conditions.

Do you have a pic from just prior to leaf emergence? It looks as though the full-sized leaves were rolled up or folded within a bud-like thing, with very short internodes separating them; and then they unfolded while the stem elongated. Can you say anything about that?

Tony, yes you are right, however, population size doesnt provide a greater insight into the reasoning of a restricted occurence, it only illustrates that the refuge is slightly larger for that species. I have thought for a while that the three variables water, fire and competition all act independently and codependently to account for the biogeography in Australian plants. These variables be they a result of Aboriginal or natural climate change they have a massive bearing on species occurences and associated speciation. Wollemia would undoubtedly be suited to the highlands of the Wet Tropics however previous climatic deterioration has led to the demise of Nothofagus and the main element of temperate rainforests 'Eucryphia' is only represented by a single population on one mountain peak (which happens to be the highest in the Wet Tropics). Reiterating, Wollemia would grow in the current days climate as it is cool and wet however the competition from large mesophyll species would undoubtedly bump it out of the habitat. I once grow a Nothofagus cunninghamii in the lowlands of NE NSW where it grew amazingly well attaining a height of 2m in less than 2 years. I planted it in the ground where it quickly died due to a lack of water. This suggests that this species is restricted to sthn Vic and Tas because of milder lower evaporation rates and constant moisture. In the warmer subtropics it is unlikley to control is stomata as efficiently as required and thus it looses water to quickly. A friend has a N .cunninghamii growing well in a wetter site than where I planted mine- thus bolstering my presumption that it isnt temperature its water availability that restricts this species to sth locations. Nothofagus moorei is only common in locations where the forests leaf size is reduced to Notophyll and is wet AND the species only recruits following disturbance and freedom from the notophyll saplings/trees. Thus I think that all three variables are at play and possibly if fire wasnt an element of Australian landscapes that competition is more so a determinate than water. Wollemia has small leaves and thus competition with larger leaved species has undoubtedly resulted in its restricted occurence too, as well as fire because Eucalypts are so common in this area now. Maybe it has become restricted to this locality during a really bad climate deterioration event however hasnt been able to escape and re-expand due to the advance of Eucalypts and associated fire-phylic habitats. Now Im rambling.... From Kris

Hi pos02, Wollemi are best planted in the warmer months, so this is possibly the reason why yours didn't make it. Over-watering may be a factor too, as the correct process to follow for the establishment of any member of the Araucariaceae is relatively specific. Or you also might have poor drainage. You should thoroughly soak the rootball of the plant before planting out - submerging it in a bucket of water for a couple mintues should ensure that there are no air pockets left in the rootball. Loosening the soil from twice to three times the size of the pot around the planting site is helpful too. After planting, water in well as you would any other tree. Keep the water up to it once a week until new growth looks well established on the tree. Only supplimentary irrigation is required in dry periods as natural rainfall should suffice. Also, do you grow any other natives in the are where you planted it? How're they doing? If they're not doing too well you could have a high level of phosphorus in the soil. If you're soil is pretty poor, only use a native slow release fertiliser. Good luck! Once established this plant is though as nails, so once you get over this hurdle there should be plain sailing ahead. Any other information you could provide about the spot you're planting it in could help in exploring other possibilities for its failure. Let me know if you need some other info. It's not the kind of plant one wants to keep buying as it's not cheap! Cheers.