"Jurassic Nursery" (Wollemi Pine)

[MKIRKALDY@aol.com]

Jurassic Nursery
DAMIEN STANNARD
05jun05 - The Sunday  Mail

http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,15505804%255E276
5,00.html
 
A BATCH of the world's rarest trees is being cultivated at a Queensland  
nursery guarded by military-style security.
 
The threat of poachers and vandals has prompted commercial growers of the  
wollemi pine tree to barricade their nursery near Gympie behind a 2.7m electric 
 
fence. 
The company responsible for the conservation venture used the extreme  
measures to protect the species, which until recently was believed to have been 
 
extinct for about two million years. 
 
<snip>
 
A batch of 500 pines to be released for auction in October could fetch up  to 
$50,000, with royalties to be invested in research. 
 
But Wollemi International expects the price to be far more affordable when  
the trees go on sale in April next year. 
 
"In horticultural terms, this will be one of the most exciting releases in  
years," Ms McGeoch said. 
 
<snip>
 
"The demand is significant but we do hope to meet most of that. Our  
objective is to make sure they are affordable." 
 
It can be grown in almost any climate and will be available to pre-order  
from garden centres in November. 
 
NSW Tourism Minister Sandra Nori said about 500,000 newly propagated  wollemi 
pines would go on sale in Japan from April next year.
______
 
Mary