Wollemia nobilis...any news on timeline for U.S. sales?

From what I understand (which may be wrong) several specimens of Wollemia nobilis where distributed to botanical gardens and plant research centers across North America recently. Sales of this tree in North America were anticipated to begin sometime in 2007.

Is this true?

 

Not sure about sales, but Kingsbrae Garden in New Brunswick has a tree. I doubt it will be too much longer before it is in commerce.

 

Hi,
Check out http://www.wollemipine.com

from this you can subscribe to Wollemi Watch & get the latest info. Ingrid

 

I've already subscribed to their information service and have been put on their list. However, e-mailing them for more information regarding a list of North American nurseries, botanical gardens, and/or plant research centers has failed . I was hoping for some "insider" information from anyone actually involved with the program in North America.

 

Oh, shame. Wish I could help but I'm in a similar position I guess, waiting for (affordable) trees to become available here in the UK. Ingrid

 

Thanks for the link, Ingrid. I see Canada hasn't made it onto the list yet but hopefully we'll get some trees via Home Depot due to their American connection.

 

I am also still waiting for some of these specimens. A close friend, wants to donate one to UBC & also to Riverview's arboreteum. More info found at this thread, about the tree and information about growing: http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showpost.php?p=44412&postcount=10

 

E-mail I recieved this morning...

"Hello Mark,

It is expected the Wollemi will be available in the U.S. at Christmas 2006.
Our contact over there is josh Schneider, his email is josh@wollemipine.com
if you contact him he should be able to supply you with more accurate info.

Regards,

Peter Dutton
Customer Service Officer
Wollemi Australia
Free Toll:-1800 615536
Fax:-07 5488 1015 "

I believe "over there" means the U.S. I'll try to contact him.

 

E-mail received this afternoon....

Quote: "Hi Mark,

We are currently rolling out the final plans for the distribution of the trees. The state government of Queensland maintains strict control over the propagation of all Wollemi worldwide. For the near term, all trees will be coming out of Australia. Initial rollout will be this September at GCA's Fashion in Bloom www.fashioninbloom.com and the trees will launch for sale via National Geographic and their holiday catalog. Distribution to independent garden centers is on track to start happening spring of 2007. Distribution to botanic gardens will start around this same time depending on how the trees look. We want to work with botanic gardens to establish educational exhibits and explain to the public how their purchase of a Wollemi Pine will help preserve the species as well as raising money for habitat restoration and preservation.

If you are currently not a subscriber to the Wollemi Newsletter, I suggest you go to the website to sign up. The subscribers of the Wollemi Watch will be the first to hear about new developments for roll out. www.wollemipine.com

Feel free to pass along my contact information to any friends or colleagues who are interested in setting up a display at a public garden or arboretum.

Best regards,

Josh " end quote.

 

I just received notice that U.S. orders may begin right now (Sept. 15) with a tentative delivery date of (Nov. 15). The cost $99.95 with a $5.00 delivery charge. They will be sold through the National Geographic store, on-line.

 

I received my Wollemi nobilis yesterday. It is about 8" in height, and as cute as a speckled puppy. Carbluesnake

 

Still not a peep about when they may be available in Canada.

 

It is true that the delivery date for U.S. was Nov.15, 2006; however, I received notice that the plants "needed a little more time in the nursery". Because of that, instead of a November delivery, I received mine the 22nd of December. Carbluesnake

 

I'm in Canada, and have been on the Wollemi "list for a seedling" for about 5 years.
Their newsletters (link given earlier) are excellent, and cultural information followed.

Their announcement of its imminent release "to North America" was via National Geographic, so I contacted NF online last month. Shipments, as posted earlier, were to be sometime in the Fall of 06 through to Spring 07.

I received an immediate reply from National Geographic: "Cannot Ship to Canada". NG provided no links to who might be a Canadian supplier, nada, nothing.
After waiting 5 years for news of seedling issue, I was stunned! Thinking it might be "plant protection", I recalled many years ago while vacationing in Hawaii, I went through the laborious process of obtaining a Phyto Cert (for a "found in the ditch palm") through the University, and I got to bring my palm home. If I can get a phyto cert., then anyone could. So it couldn't have been that.

I contacted Wollemi Society to express my dismay at this marketing blunder by NG, and haven't received a reply (unlike the lucky posters above).

Update: Brian Minter of Minter Gardens can be contacted re who/how/when of Wollemi Pine supply to Canada. Karen Hong at Gardens West Magazine has some leads too.

 

Josh Schneider did reply to an e-mail of mine and stated they were having problems with Agriculture Canada getting import permits. I'll keep everyone posted if I hear anything further.

 

Ag Canada may be taking a different approach in recent years, friends down here with mailorder nurseries have been having problems with shipments to Canada.

 

Ag Canada contact form:
http://www.agr.gc.ca/index_e.php?s1=help-aide&s2=contact[/url]

I don't see any imminent release date info in their Search, so perhaps we should all contact Ag Canada (hehehe).

 

The Ag Canada Contact Us is a broken link.
Will try phoning their 1 800.

 

Thanks for all the information (I think! Now I really want a Wollemia pine and it sounds like that may be difficult)

I've subscribed to the newsletter.

The pictures and information on the website are fascinating.

WCG

 

Yup, I'm virtually drooling waiting for mine.
Have phoned Ag Canada local office, and was thrilled to NOT get a machine!
They're looking into "import status into Canada" and will phone back...hopefully soon.

Just a reminder: title of this thread talks about US timeline. US is no problem, as can be ordered online through National Geographic (who won't/can't ship to Canada).

So that's where we Canadians are at...waiting. Will post AG Can's reply.

 

They do have a wonderful Web site, that's true. But, you know, cycads are from that same era and share some of the same interesting history. They, too, have a fascinating primitive look to them, and many species are very rare. They are also conifers, some bearing cones weighing up to 50 pounds! I am planning on planting a Jurassic Garden with Wollemias, cycads and ginkgoes -- if those Wollemias ever become available here!

 

Ooooh, Sunset, that garden sounds wonderful. I have a gingko that's been planted outdoors for about 3 years, hasn't grown much; the deer keep eating all the leaves off over winter. I'll never get any leaves for my TEA!

OK, update on Canadian availability of Wollemi:
Talked to a very nice fellow at Ag Canada, Vernon, named Kurt Sauder (sp?)
Note that some of the following was posted previously (over two Wollemi forums, fora?), but maybe an abbreviated update is warranted now.

According to Mr. Sauder, he doesn't know if the research has been completed yet (AG Canada rules) on "whether it could become weedy, for instance" (hurting Canada's crops).
Just going through the motions of final approval. He said he didn't think Wollemi Pine would be a concern, but the process must be followed. He did not know whether approval was being obtained to bring in seedlings in native Australian soil (which would be risky), or whether bare root shipments were planned.

In terms of it being released to the public, he added that once approval is obtained for import, AG Canada doesn't have any authority re who can bring it in, etc. So it's just a matter of who is the distributor? Brian Minter of Minter Gardens is so far mute on this, but I had heard that SOMEONE was growing them in Canada (from seed?)

So...we're not much closer to owning a seedling yet but I'm a little more relaxed than when National Geographic said they couldn't/wouldn't ship to Canada.

As was mentioned ages ago in another post, apparently Ms. Susan Murch of UBC Okanagan has a Wollemi Pine...lucky ducky. I would have thought UBC (parent of UBC O) would have the tree!
We'll simply TALK about owning one until they arrive.

Here's a young Wollemi with Sir David Attenborough at Kew in UK.
http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/whatsnew/wollemipine.html

I also have a printed copy of "Top Tips for Wollemi Pine Tree Care" and will provide the link when I find it again because I don't have a scanner. It's everything you wanted to know about Wollemi culture.

 

It's there, I just can't remember how to link the Adobe file.

Search "Top Tips for Wollemi Pine Tree Care" on the NG website:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

The first 7 or 8 pages are intro, the balance to page 20 are cultural instructions.
It's fascinating stuff, maybe when we Canadians all have ours, we can join our American counterparts on this forum = Daniel might (?) consider doing a Wollemi Owners Forum...proud parents that we will be! Whad'ya think, boss?

 

Not a bad idea. I imagine there will be a fair amount of interest. It'd sure be nice if we had one in the ground before starting that forum up, though.

 

Carbluesnake (Texas) reported he had received his, and if I recall, it was 8 inches tall and "cute as a puppy".
Thks for considering it Daniel.

Now we can start saving up. NG offered it to US customers for about $98, and UK customers are paying 98 Pounds (*where is that symbol?*), equiv. C$235. A hefty price. Considering the vast research (not to mention in situ preservation) that's gone into this relic, it's worth every penny.