So after successfully importing the first set of Wollemi Pine trees to the US, I decided that those first few would not be enough, especially since the hard part was over, and getting a few more was going to be quick and fairly easy. Also, several friends were also interested, and signed up to have there Wollemi Pine shipped in at the same time as my second order. So the second set of Wollemi Pine trees arrived, and it turns out they were much bigger than the first ones.
So by the middle of Summer 2011, and the arrival of the second shipment, I was feeling a little nostalgic for the chase. After all, this project had literally become a quest, an obsession, and now that I had imported successfully twice, it seemed like an empty spot in the psyche needed filling.
So the next logical thing to do, is study and record as much information as I can about the trees, as there is not a lot of information out there. So I have started to log the Wollemia nobilis (Wollemi Pine) progress, - note changes and quirks, and file away as much information as I can along with technical data notes, and lot of file photos.
And of course, the other logical thing to do was get back to the original quest to fill out the fossil and lazarus (extant) species display still happening, and another line of focus. Now that importing has been figured out, how to search for, and legally import unusual and hard to find plants, The quest continues. The two trees next on the list were just imported, and now on to the next on the list.
I too am in the search for a Wollemia nobilis. The only places I found supplying it are in CA and wont ship to NJ. Any suggestions as to how I too might be able to obtain one or cuttings from one would be greatly appreciated.
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There are a couple of nurseries that had it in CA, a least 2 sold out about a year ago. Which nursery did you find it in?
Did the nursery say why they couldn't ship to NJ? If NJ has agricultural restrictions due to phytocertification issues, find out if the shipping nursery can meet the NJ phyto requirements, get the inspections and permits to ship it.
If they still can't ship it, I suspect seeds will be available soon, as the trees that had been shipped in the beginning, are now mature enough to produce cones. - Still, viability is about 10% - out of 10 seeds you might get one to sprout. Seeds from the US probably wll be free of the fungus, blights and other hitchhikers that prevent shipment from abroad.
Cuttings? Not for the amateur, nor faint of heart.. - it is a very intensive process requiring laboratory conditions and constant monitoring - with limited success. It took the Australians years to figure out how to propagate from cuttings. Side branch cuttings will only yield ground cover trees that do not grow upright, only sideways. So attempting to snag a bit from someone else's tree, only trims their tree...
Hope for seeds coming soon. My tree had male cones only last year, but these were the first cones ever on the tree because, it is still too young. Others may have slightly more mature trees that are producing good cones soon.
Managing to import my own took several years of asking why, and finding ways to turn the "you can't" and "they can't, and "no", into proper permits and requirements that became "yes, OK'd". It may be the same from California to New Jersey. Check with your local USDA APHIS about requirements.
Wollemi & Tree Adventures
YWT
I've been trying to find one for some time. Do you have any that you will sell?
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