Ancient Survivor Thrives In Worcestershire Garden: British Couple’s Wollemi Pine Bears Fruit For First Time
In a quiet garden nestled at the foot of the Malvern Hills, a living relic from the age of dinosaurs has taken a remarkable step into the present. A Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis), one of the rarest and most ancient tree species on Earth, has borne fruit for the very first time since being planted over a decade ago by retired British couple Pamela and Alistair Thompson.
Often dubbed the “dinosaur tree,” the Wollemi pine dates back over 90 million years. For centuries, it was believed to have gone extinct alongside creatures like the Tyrannosaurus rex—until a small grove of the prehistoric conifers was discovered in 1994 in a remote gorge within Wollemi National Park, roughly 125 miles west of Sydney, Australia. The discovery shocked the botanical world. Professor Carrick Chambers, a leading Australian botanist at the time, famously described it as “the equivalent of finding a small dinosaur still alive on Earth.”
To protect the critically endangered species, a conservation effort was launched to distribute saplings and cuttings globally. One such sapling, just 18 inches tall, found its way to Malvern in 2010 through a friend of the Thompsons. The couple, intrigued by the tree’s ancient lineage and potential, paid £70 (about $93) and planted it in their garden, unaware that their modest act of planting would one day contribute to the legacy of this extraordinary species.
Today, the tree towers over 13 feet (4 meters) tall and has, for the first time, produced both male and female cones—signaling a major milestone. “It would be amazing, absolutely amazing, to have seedlings and to propagate from the world’s rarest tree,” said Pamela, now 75. “I couldn’t imagine being so lucky to do it.” She noted that she once saw a small Wollemi tree listed for sale at over $1,000, underlining the species’ scarcity and value.
Despite its name, the Wollemi pine is not a true pine but belongs to the Araucariaceae family, which also includes the monkey puzzle tree. What distinguishes the Wollemi is its unusual ability to produce both male and female cones on the same tree. The male cones hang in long, pendulous clusters, while the female cones are more rounded and spiky. This biological characteristic offers hope that the Thompsons’ tree may one day produce viable seeds.
“So what we’re really hoping later in the year would be to collect and germinate some of the seeds from it,” Pamela explained. “That would be really something.”
In celebration of this botanical milestone, Pamela and Alistair will be opening their garden to the public on May 4 as part of the UK’s National Garden Scheme. Visitors will have the rare chance to view a thriving Wollemi pine—an experience usually reserved for botanic gardens or specialist collectors. “It’s something special to be able to share,” said Alistair. “You don’t get many chances to stand next to a tree that existed in the time of the dinosaurs.”
While Wollemi pine seedlings are still sold in select markets, availability remains limited and prices high. Australian nurseries ship domestically, while UK buyers can acquire seeds more affordably online, though mature specimens remain expensive. In the U.S., online nurseries offering Wollemia nobilis were recently found to be out of stock, reflecting continued global interest and the challenges of cultivation.
For now, the Thompsons are content with caring for their ancient guest and nurturing its next chapter. In doing so, their Worcestershire garden has become an unexpected sanctuary for one of the planet’s most extraordinary survivors—a symbol of both deep time and enduring hope for conservation.
Would you like a visual timeline of the Wollemi pine’s history from discovery to today?
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