Scientists are in a race against time to save Australia’s “zombie tree”

Among the options considered are cloning the surviving trees or using fungicides to try to save the seeds of infected trees.

Scientists in Australia are working urgently to save a recently identified tree species, the Rhodamnia zombiewhich is at risk of disappearing from nature after becoming virtually incapable of reproducing.

The species, discovered in 2020 and formally described only last year, was nicknamed the “zombie tree” because it stays alive, but can no longer produce flowers, fruits or seeds. According to researchers, this reproductive collapse is caused by a rapidly spreading fungal disease known as myrtle rust, triggered by the pathogen Austropuccinia psidii.

In a study in the journal Austral Ecology, scientists warn that Rhodamnia zombi is not alone. At least other 16 species of trees of the rainforest are also threatened and could face extinction within a generation if action is not taken.

The fungus, first detected in Australia in 2010 after appearing in Hawaii years earlier, spreads easily by wind, animals and human activities. The disease infects plants in the myrtaceae family, one of Australia’s most important plant groups, causing visible rust-like growths that drain nutrients and eventually kill the host plant.

Unlike the plants of South America, where the fungus originates, the Australian species did not develop resistancewhich makes them particularly vulnerable. The researchers describe them as “naive hosts”.

Field surveys in eastern Australia have revealed alarming trends. About 10% of known populations of the zombie tree have already died, while the remaining trees have a severe infection and a complete stop in reproduction. Without seeds or natural regeneration, the species faces functional extinction in the wild.

To combat this, scientists are turning to emergency conservation strategies. A fundamental approach involves cloning of surviving trees through cuttings, which can then be grown in controlled environments such as nurseries. These plants can later be reintroduced into areas that are less favorable to the fungus, explains the .

Other experimental methods include fungicide application to protect infected trees long enough for them to produce seeds, as well as identifying individuals that demonstrate natural tolerance to the disease. Researchers are even exploring advanced solutions, such as RNA-based treatments that could act in a similar way to vaccines.