Wollemia nobilis

Wollemia nobilis, also called the Wollemi pine, is a rare evergreen conifer preserved at Trauttmansdorff Castle in Merano. Botanists knew it through fossils before living trees appeared in Australia in 1994. That discovery showed that a species thought extinct still survived in a remote Australian landscape. The tree stands in a protective steel cage. In the castle gardens, the plant belongs to a collection of rare and exotic species from different regions. Its dark-green foliage has an almost fern-like appearance. Descriptions of its bark compare the surface with bubbling chocolate, giving this living fossil a distinctive texture. Trauttmansdorff Castle dates from the thirteenth century. Its gardens bring together Mediterranean plants, alpine species, South Tyrolean flora and other botanical collections. Another notable tree is a giant sequoia. The Wollemi pine also shares the grounds with an old olive tree, rhododendrons, seasonal flowers and other rare plants. Conservation gives this specimen its central significance. Botanical institutions cultivate the species in gardens and parks to support its continued protection. At Merano, Wollemia nobilis connects a living plant with fossils millions of years old.