Wollemi Pines - re a comment from Pip C

They look very tall. Good job they only grow slowly if you have them in the garden. :o)

Anyone have any info on how well they would do in a hot desert area? We get 46+ degrees C in summer, with up to 35 deg. C nights. Relative humidity 10% in early summer, to 40% in the monsoons.

LOL Hywell - umm - yes - well i have planted some trees that are going to grow ENORMOUS in my garden - and will have to keep them trimmed to some degree once the neighbors start to comment - i have asked them to let me know if they find anything a problem and they are lovely people who love their garden too - actually they are looking forward to the summer shade at the moment - i've never lived on such a small area and have always planted big things to start with then proceeded through the various levels of understory as things have got more shaded - Aussie summers really can be unpleasant if there's not shade around but i think i've rather over done it - and as you say - a good thing that they don't seem to be growing fast LOL

lol :o) I bet the shade is lovely when the sun is too hot. I like our cooler weather I must say, and I love the rain - just as well because it's what we get most of here in west Wales . We're in direct line for the all weather coming off the Atlantic :O

Nice you have good neighbours. Several on GoY have been telling of their bad ones lately. I have good ones so I'm very fortunate aswell

SMILE!! it's 5.18 pm here so you must be just getting into your Wednesday - I do enjoy knowing the person I'm 'talking' to is awake hahahah - Cate =))

Yes It's 8.25 am lol. I wake early. I've been up since 6 :o)

Sometimes I put a comment on a photo by Greenthumb in Alaska, and he replies but his day is just starting when mine is finishing lol just like us two here now .:o)

Lovely blog....I too have a wollemi, although at the moment it's in a pot and doing well....Oh and that website is fantastic.

Hi Jem - may I ask where you live - and what kind of climate you have? and aren't Wollemi's fascinating things!! glad you enjoyed the website - the people at the research centre are always so willing to help - I email with questions and usually get a reply the next day!

wow Hywel - how different the gardening must be in Alaska - I must look at his blog! wonder if Wollemi's would like that climate? another member of goy who lives in Arizona US was interested in having one but the ppl at Wollemi Aus say that they think the climate there is much to harsh ...

ok - time to go out in the garden - of course - when isn't it LOL - cheers - Cate =)

Sorry Cate only just seen this reply...I live in the uk....and climate is normally rain rain and more rain...I am so fascinated with Wollemi's, website is fantastic.

oh goodness no problem with long replies Jem - small child - new home and garden - sheesh - surprising you get time to web browse at all LOL

I'm most interested to know how your Wollemi is growing in your climate - looking at your average temps it gets much colder than the area where the Wollemis were discovered but they seem to be so incredibly hardy - i presume you have snow in winter? do you protect it from frosts and snow? the one thing they cant cope with would seem to be fire which makes it all the more incredible that they survived in this tiny gorge in a vast forest area that is prone to fires - indeed most of the native plants have developed fire coping strategies and some even need a fire for their seeds to germinate - it's almost surreal that the wollemis were not wiped out!! happy gardening - Cate =))

Sorry for my tardiness in commenting on your blog Cate, I only just discovered it. I don't actually know how the little tree I photographed a while back is faring now - I must remember to ask my neighbour. I agree, it's so good that we didn't lose this spectular tree!

Hi Cate ...
Good luck with your Wollemi Pines....
It would be interesting to see photos of your trees some time. :o)))

Cate i haven't had the Wollemi long so this will be it's first winter....fingers crossed it will be fine it's doing fine in it's pot..I think there is a pic of it in my pictures

Thank you Terra - i'll ask Greg to take a couple of pictures of our garden and put them up here

and good luck Jem over the winter Jem - looking forward to hearing how it goes!! and i'll look for the picture =))

Hi all, I have finally heard back from the neighbour! He says his tree is going well, although it has been dormant over winter, he expects it to grow come spring (that's September for all you Northern Hemisphere folk). As for the conditions in his garden - forgot to ask about that - but his Wollemi is in a fairly sheltered position as I remember it.
I hope this is of help to you :o))))

A bit of a late comment, but I thought you might like to know that here at Kew, the first Wollemi Pine planted outside of Australia - planted by Sir David Attenborough in 2005 - and the one planted by the pines discoverer, David Noble have produced cones; the first in the northern hemisphere to reach sexual maturity.Last year another pine was planted by the Duke of Edinburgh.They are growing well and came through came through last years harsh (for the UK) winter ok.

Excellent news! I'm a big fan of David Attenborough's :o)