A retired couple have come into possession of seeds valued at over $6,000 after a rare ancient tree in their garden yielded a surprising bounty.
Pamela and Alistair Thompson, both aged 75, purchased a Wollemi pine for $93 in 2010 when it was just a sapling. They were intrigued to learn that dinosaurs once consumed its fruit.
Wollemi pines, often referred to as dinosaur trees, have a history stretching back more than 90 million years. They were thought to have gone extinct along with the T-Rex.
The couple, residing in Worcestershire, UK, planted one of these remarkable trees in their garden, and recently, it has produced seeds for the first time.
Each cone is expected to produce hundreds of seeds, potentially bringing the couple a significant financial windfall in the future—perhaps eliminating the need for a traditional pension.
“It really does prove that money can grow on trees!” Alistair remarked about this unexpected fortune.
Pamela was astonished to see the rare tree bearing fruit for the first time in April, and this week’s discovery has added to her amazement.
“I had been keeping half an eye on a female cone for ages as I was advised they usually drop their seeds in late August early September,” said Pamela, a retired police officer.
She further explained: “This year has been so unusually dry, it happened earlier.
“A few days ago I reached up to a female cone and the seeds all cascaded into my cupped hands as I touched it.
“It was very exciting actually collecting the seeds from such an ancient tree that lived when dinosaurs roamed. I shall definitely try to germinate seeds from a critically endangered tree.
“We have around five large cones which have produced about a hundred or so large seeds each. It would be lovely to see just how many seeds we can produce, but I have been very surprised by the numbers so far this year.”
Pamela and Alistair intend to use their discovery to raise money for charity by selling the seeds in small packs.
The grandmother of three noted: “I saw a small tree for sale for more than £1,000 ($1,300), highlighting their rarity.
“We are planning to package the seeds into bundles of five or six and sell them online for £5 ($6.70), so around £1 ($1.34) per seed.
“We’ve seen some online retailers sell them for much more than that, but we want to make them accessible for people and simultaneously raise money for charity.
“We don’t yet know how many seeds would be healthy and produce trees; only time will tell.”
If you’re nearby, you’ll have the chance to see the ‘money tree’ in person on Sunday (August 24) as Pamela and Alistair are opening their garden to the public as part of the National Garden Scheme.