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Harrogate man donates one of world's rarest trees
13 APRIL 2007 EXOTIC and unusual plants and trees
are plentiful in the Harrogate district but thanks to the
generosity of Harrogate resident, Tony Robinson, the Valley Gardens
in Harrogate will become home to one of the rarest trees in the
world the Wollemi Pine tree (Wollemia Nobilis).
Paul Casey, Harrogate Borough Council's, Arboricultural
Manager, is excited about this donation. "This
is a primitive tree of the conifer family (Araucariaceae) which it
was thought had become extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period
- approximately 65 million years ago. The tree
has been named after Wollemi Park in New South Wales, Australia
where it was discovered in 1994. And with just
100 mature trees in the world it can definitely be billed as one of
the rarest.
"Mr Robinson has a great interest in trees and came across a
limited sale of this tree via his own interests in subscribing to
gardening forums. We are extremely grateful to
him and in honour of this gift, Mr Robinson will be invited to help
plant the tree. It is to be located within the
Valley Gardens and the plan is to keep together trees from the
southern hemisphere and it will be planted next to a mature Blue
Gum (Eucalyptus macrocarpa)."
As well as the tree he has donated to the public through the
council,
Mr Robinson also bought one for his daughter who has a
five-acre garden of her own. "The whole family
is interested in the importance of trees and when I came across
this rare offering I thought that the council would be able to give
one a good home and would be prepared to care for such a rare
specimen. I will certainly be watching its
growth with interest and I hope many more people will get pleasure
from it."
ENDS
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: 10.30 am
Tuesday, 17 April meet at the Pump Room Museum entrance to the
Valley Gardens.