Araucariaceae
Araucariaceae are an ancient lineage of conifers, and some of the first exotic trees planted in Melbourne Gardens. With well over a century of growth, these giants define the skyline and silhouette of the Gardens, and bring to this modern landscape a touch of the prehistoric. With such characters as the famous Wollemi Pine and the notorious Bunya Bunya Pine, these trees are a marvel to behold.
This Collection is important as it:
- displays the unique forms and aesthetic these trees bring to a landscape.
- Conserves rare and threatened species, such as the Wollemi Pine.
- Identifies species tolerant of the conditions of future climate change.
Key Plants
Hoop Pine
Araucaria cunninghamii
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Norfolk Island Pine
Araucaria heterophylla
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Bunya Bunya
Araucaria bidwillii
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Mountain Kauri
Agathis ovata
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Hoop Pine
<em>Araucaria cunninghamii</em>
This species is a tall and long-lived Araucaria native to the dry rainforests of NSW and QLD. It is one of the taller trees in Australia commonly known to grow to 60 metres.
Notes from the Curator
Living dinosaurs are these trees. Giant, beautiful, and dominant in the landscape. Climbing them is stepping back in time, and working and sustaining the collection is like ascending into history. Rare and wonderful, the future of the collection is bright and well suited to a changing climate and of the highest importance to sustain into the future. The Gardens showcases some of the oldest cultivated specimens in Australia and the character of its tree canopy is well defined by these trees.