KEEN conservationists have been give the opportunity to grow a rare tree thought to have been extinct for more than two million years.

Young Wollemi pine saplings from 45cms tall are going on sale at Webbs in Wychbold, near Droitwich ,next month.

Hundreds of curious gardeners are expected to flock to the A38 garden centre to see the saplings from the oldest rare tree in the world.

The Wollemi pine is a fern-like evergreen known from fossil records to have existed at the same time as dinosaurs roamed the earth about 100 million years ago.

There were less than 100 mature trees discovered in a remote canyon in Australia in 1994 - the whereabouts of which are a closely guarded secret - making the Wollemi pine one of the most vulnerable and rarest plants on earth.

A charitable conservation trust was set up to save the Wollemi pine by spearheading a project to raise saplings from the trees in the wild.

Webbs is one of only a small number of garden centres and nurseries across the UK which will be releasing young trees of Wollemi pine to the British public for the first time.

Webbs plants' buyer Paul Valentine said: "The Wollemi pine is one of the world's oldest and rarest plants, dating back to the time of the dinosaurs.

"We are hoping to encourage gardeners to grow their own Wollemi pine and take part in the global conservation effort. It's a unique chance to grow your own living fossil and royalties from the sales support conservation of the pine in the wild, and other rare and threatened plant species."

The tree is fast growing and likes a light position and acid soils. The largest wild Wollemi pine in the Australian rainforest gorge is 40m (131ft) tall with a main trunk of 1.2m (3.9ft) wide.

Gardeners are now able to pre-order the tree which will be released on May 26. A specimen three-litre (5.2pints) tree costs £99.99.

For details call Webbs on 0870 225 0227.