All the fashion trendsetters out there keep an eye out for the garden fashion accessory of the 21st century - a Wollemi Pine. These highly endangered conifers were once believed to be extinct until a hiker in a National Park, hidden in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney stumbled across a grove of them. His find has set the horticultural world into a headspin not seen since Sydney heard the news that they would host the 2000 Olympic Games.

What's so fascinating about these plants? Horticulturalists and scientists have dated this tree's age back to the historic Jurassic period presumably 200 million years ago. While I don't agree with their dating methods (or their view on evolution) I am impressed that this relic tree has survived a metropolis of Sydney growing around it and not been found until now.

There are less than 100 mature trees growing in the wild now with the largest growing to over 40m (130 feet) tall with a girth of about 1.2m (4 feet) wide.