Overview
- Rhodamnia zombi is effectively unable to grow or reproduce in the wild because myrtle rust repeatedly kills new shoots.
- Since a 2020 assessment, about 10% of known trees have died, and surviving individuals are no longer flowering or fruiting.
- Specialists are propagating pathogen-free material from wild cuttings at facilities in Lismore and Townsville under strict vigilance.
- Barung Landcare Nursery on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast is growing cuttings with plans to treat any rust outbreaks to secure fruit and seed.
- Researchers hope seeds from protected plants will reveal resistant offspring for future reintroduction, though they describe the effort as a long shot.