{"id":441847,"date":"2026-01-28T01:17:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T01:17:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/441847\/"},"modified":"2026-01-28T01:17:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T01:17:13","slug":"huge-milestone-in-race-to-save-rare-tree-hammered-by-invasive-pest-accidentally-brought-into-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/441847\/","title":{"rendered":"Huge milestone in race to save rare tree ‘hammered’ by invasive pest accidentally brought into Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"

An Australian nursery has propagated 50 cuttings as part of a plan to prevent the extinction of a rare native tree. The newly described Rhodamnia zombi, which can be found in rainforests, is listed as critically endangered because its surviving populations could be killed off by myrtle rust.<\/a><\/p>\n

The plant’s name is a nod to its \u201cliving dead\u201d status, which it’s hoped can be reversed. Invasive myrtle rust thrives in damp, moist conditions and has spread to over 100 plants since it arrived in Australia<\/a> in 2010.<\/p>\n

Alexandra Hayes-Hatten from Barung Landcare Nursery in Queensland said it is \u201cexciting\u201d to be part of a program to try and save Rhodamnia zombi.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is just one of the few plants being hammered by it,\u201d she told Yahoo News.<\/p>\n

\u201cHumans accidentally brought myrtle rust into Australia, so it\u2019s our job to counteract it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nerve-racking time as plants fail to propagate<\/p>\n

Because Rhodamnia zombi had never been cultivated from cuttings, the nursery team was unsure if the plan would work when the project began three months ago.<\/p>\n

\"Left:<\/p>\n

One of the Rhodamnia zombi cuttings (left) and a mature flowering plant (right). Source: Barung Landcare Nursery\/Milo Wakeman-Bateman<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are some plants you just can\u2019t grow from cuttings, and you have to grow them from seed,\u201d Hayes-Hatten said.<\/p>\n

Her team watched on helplessly as dozens of their cuttings died, leaving them worried their attempt had failed.<\/p>\n

But incredibly, five of the plants struck and began to grow roots. Hayes-Hatten said they\u2019d constantly check on their health like they were newborn babies.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was nerve-racking. But then to see a few continue on, we thought, Oh my God, we\u2019ve got something,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

University’s dire warning for 17 Aussie plants<\/p>\n

Myrtle rust is threatening at least 17 species with extinction, and the University of Queensland is warning that without intervention, they will be wiped out within a generation.<\/p>\n

One of its botanists, Professor Rod Fensham, explained the plant had not been named when it was first assessed in 2020.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince then, 10 per cent of the trees have died, and none of those remaining are producing flowers or fruit because of myrtle rust,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

His research into the plant’s future has been published in the journal Austral Ecology. <\/a><\/p>\n

The medium-sized tree is found around rainforests in the Burnett region of Queensland, and has dark green leaves and white flowers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bright yellow fungal pathogen attacks and kills off its young shoots over and over again, meaning an infected tree can\u2019t grow or reproduce and eventually dies,\u201d Professor Fensham said.<\/p>\n

The nursery is hoping to improve its propagation strike rate, and also plans to collect seeds from one area where flowering has been recorded.<\/p>\n

Once mature, the trees will then either be returned to the bush, or taken to new locations where they will become insurance populations.<\/p>\n

\"Close-up<\/p>\n

Rhodamnia zombi grows in rainforests in the Burnett region. Source: Milo Wakeman-Bateman<\/p>\n

How Aussies can help protect rare plants<\/p>\n

While the plant is currently too rare to make available to the public, there are other threatened species from the Sunshine Coast that can be purchased.<\/p>\n

“Buderim Holly is a great example \u2014 it only grows in a few locations,” Hayes-Hatten said.<\/p>\n

Other plants that are rare in the wild, but haven’t yet had their conservation status officially assessed, are also often available from local Landcare groups.<\/p>\n

“People can help by planting them,” Hayes-Hatten said.<\/p>\n

Love Australia’s weird and wonderful environment? \ud83d\udc0a\ud83e\udd98\ud83d\ude33 Get our new newsletter<\/a> showcasing the week\u2019s best stories.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An Australian nursery has propagated 50 cuttings as part of a plan to prevent the extinction of a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":441848,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[229760,64,63,229758,229759,132002,171478,229761,128],"class_list":{"0":"post-441847","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-science","8":"tag-alexandra-hayes-hatten","9":"tag-au","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-barung-landcare-nursery","12":"tag-milo-wakeman-bateman","13":"tag-rainforests","14":"tag-rare-plants","15":"tag-rhodamnia","16":"tag-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/441847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=441847"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/441847\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/441848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=441847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=441847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=441847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}