The species Lagarostrobos franklinii, known as Huon Pine or Macquarie Pine, is a species of conifer growing mainly in the wetter southeastern corner of Tasmania, Australia. It is a slow growing tree whose timber was highly prized for its golden yellow colour, fine grain and natural oils that resisted rotting. Some living specimens of this tree are in excess of 2000 years in age.
A stand of trees reputed to be in excess of 10,500 years in age was recently found in North Western Tasmania on Mt Read. Each of the trees in this stand is a genetically identical male that has reproduced vegetatively. Although no single tree in this stand is of that age, the stand itself as a single organism has been in existence that long.
Heavy logging of the trees for its fine timber coupled with the tree's slow growth has led to remaining stands being less than 10,500 ha. The remaining stands of this species of tree now has protected status within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
External links
Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/wha/whahome.html)
Assessment of the extent and status of the pine stands through the 1980’s and 1990’s followed concerns about its possible decline, and today some 85% of the trees are in reserves, and logging is restricted to salvage from flooded areas of hydro-electric impoundments, and of dead timber from the previously- logged Teepookana Plateau near Strahan.
HuonPine is very slow growing, with a dense grain and close-spaced growth rings.
HuonPine pollen occurs in Victorian lake sediments 150,000 years old, and similar pollen is found in 100 million year old sediments, indicating that the pines have been around since Australia was part of Gondwana.
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