A New Phase
In this edition we display our new logo and by now the Australian Plant Society NSW Ltd has launched other new features including our new web site with all the Group newsletters attached, and the means to join and renew our membership.
If you wish to read our Web pages you will find them annexed, like those of every other District Group, to the APS NSW Web pages. All the Society’s information is in one place on the Web at
http://austplants.com.au Some areas may be restricted to “Members Only” for which you will need to register using a password.
If you need to renew your subscription do it yourself using a simple on-line credit payment to APS NSW. If you are seeking membership for the first occasion, join on-line. Our current fee schedule is as follows: Individual
$56pa; Individual Concession $48pa; Joint $66; Joint Concession $58. You may pay three years fees which are 3 x $Applicable pa. In the event the annual fees increase in that 3-year period you will pay no more.
Our Next Meeting
The speaker at our meeting on Saturday afternoon, 23 September, 2017, will be Greg Bourke, Manager at Mt Tomah Botanical Gardens whose topic will be Australian Carnivorous Plants.
This is a field of special interest to Greg Bourke who, with Richard Numm, has written a book on the subject which is illustrated by 180 images relating to more than 150 species of carnivourous plants. The selection of breath-taking images featured in this lavishly illustrated work was carefully chosen to highlight the extraordinary diversity of carnivorous plants found in Australia, an assemblance that is greater than on all other continents on Earth. This work offers a uniquely informative portrait of some of the Southern Hemisphere’s most extraordinary and beautiful plants. There are many taxa covered in the book that have never been depicted in print before.
This makes the expectation exciting for us and we look forward to Greg’s presentation both verbally and visually.
Isopogons and Petrophiles
Phil Trickett and Catriona Bate have accepted leadership of the Isopogon and Petrophile Study Group which has been in recess for some time. They have been members of APS for about 20 years, living first near Canberra and more recently near Milton in SE NSW. They are currently members of APS SE NSW Group. These genera, which are generally found across Southern Australia, have much in common but their greatest diversity occurs in southern WA from where plants are difficult to cultivate successfully over here. They are conducting proceedings by email only and membership is free. Contact them by email at catrionaandphil@gmail.com
Calendar
September
Mon 4 Deadline for Calgaroo news / articles
Wed 13 Propagation at Bidjiwong Community Nursery at 10am
Sat 23 Our meeting at Gumnut Hall, Gumnut Place, Cherrybrook at 2pm. Speaker will be Greg Bourke, Manager at Mt Tomah Botanical Gardens whose topic will be Australian Carnivorous Plants.
October
Wed 4 Deadline for Calgaroo news / articles
Sat 7 A bush walk in Ku-ring-gai National Park before it becomes too hot – can we arrange car pooling to arrive at KNP about 9.30am? There will be a Park fee
Wed 11 Propagation at Bidjiwong Community Nursery at 10am
APS NSW Quarterly Meeting
The next APS NSW Quarterly Meeting will be hosted at Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden by APS North Shore Group on Saturday, 18th November from 10am to 3pm.
The guest speaker will be Bronwen Roy. Bronwen is a PhD student at Western Sydney University studying the impact of pathogens on honeybees and native bees. Bronwen was the winner of the University’s 2016 Three Minute Thesis competition. She will be speaking about Australian native bees.
Our November gathering is perfect for this talk as the date is during Australian Pollinator Week which is from 12 – 19 November 2017. More information on Australian Pollinator Week will be available closer to the date. Some background data may be seen at www.beesbusiness.com.au
Boongala Native Gardens Spring Open Garden
Boongala Native Gardens at 76 Pitt Town Rd, Kenthurst, which displays a diverse collection of native flora from around Australia will be open Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from the 1st to the 25th of September, 2017, 10am to 4pm. They will have a large range of native plants in gro-tubes and larger sizes available for sale.
Entry to the gardens (Donated to The Royal Flying Doctor) – Adults
$2.00, Children Free. Rainforest tour – Adults $3.00, Children Free See Boongala’s web and Facebook sites
Image: Malcolm Johnston
Expressions of Interest – “Care for the Rare” Project – BGANZ Victoria
Expressions of interest are open for regional botanic gardens in Victoria to participate in the “Care for the Rare” project – a multi-site Conservation Collection of Victorian rare and threatened plant species.
One of the major aims/goals of botanic gardens worldwide is to play an active role and contribute in a meaningful way to the conservation of plant species.
Ed. It is refreshing to see initiatives like this to conserve our rare and threatened plant species. There are probably many others of which we have not heard but in this case we commend the Victorian Botanic Gardens. We congratulate Maria Hitchcock for forwarding the information around the Save Our Flora network to Victorian members.
This makes me wonder what is going on in NSW? Does anyone know of new developments in our State that may increase our knowledge of Australian native plants? One thing that comes to mind is the renewal of the first garden on the mound at Mount Annan. I;m told it is well worth seeing. I am sure other things are happening here but we are not across the right loop. If you hear please send us a brief email so we can dig deeper.
Grevillea ‘Purple Haze’
Check out a rare Grevillea called G. ‘Purple Haze’.
This amazing Grevillea is a selection from a plant of G. plurijuga ssp plurijuga, a Westem Australian species native to southern parts of WA. It is occasionally found in gardens in Eastern Australia.
G. ‘Purple Haze’ is a small compact shrub with mounding habit some 1m high x 2m wide.
Fascinating purple/mauve flowers present on long trailing flower stems in Spring and Summer and occasionally throughout the remainder of the year. The foliage is an intriguing blue green with bronzy new growth. lt’s frost hardy to -6ºC. It is normally on sale as a grafted plant enabling you to grow it in your district. It attracts honey eating native birds into your garden. As stated above G. ‘Purple Haze’ is a cultivar of G. plurijuga ssp plurijuga and G. plurijuga ssp superba, both of which are found on the southern coast of WA.
G. plurijuga ssp plurijuga is also found on the WA south coast but a little inland to the north-east of Esperance in the drier mallee. It may grow in fine sand/clay over limestone but can be found growing in sand and gravel. Its habitat is often low and sprawling but sometimes it is upight to 2m. The flowers are on a leafless recurved long stem so they may be below the shrub or trailing on the ground. The leaf segments are narrower on this sub-species, a feature that distinguishes it from G. plurijuga ssp superba.
G. plurijuga ssp superba is also found on the southern coast of WA near Esperance. It is a low mounding shrub that can vary from some 60cm in height to as much as 2m x 2m with profuse pink-red flowers in Winter and Spring, that may extend into summer. Very beautiful in flower and an interesting shrub without flowers. It is excellent for embankments or hanging over a wall or a container plant. It attracts birds and should be a great plant for hot dry sites.
If you choose to grow either subspecies or the G. ‘Purple Haze’, please let us know how it goes – are they proving hardy or needing frequent help? And please we only learn when we pool our information so let us know the good and the bad and the so-so and of course the roaring success.
Banksia ashbyi
When searching for another item I came across an advertisement by a US nursery located some kilometres east from the Pacific coast and north of Ventura, California (NW of LA). This was Australian Plants Nursery. One of their plants prominently advertised was Banksia ashbyi, one of the beautiful Banksias of WA.
B. ashbyi is an ornamental medium to large, upright shrub reaching about 4m in height and 4m in width. It has bright orange flowers winter to spring with serrated grey-green leaves. In its natural habitat it grows in deep red sands on coastal dunes and plains where the average rainfall is less than 210mm. It is frost tolerant to about -6ºC. Seed follicles are usually opened by fire. Fast growing it usually produces terminal cut flowers 3-5 years from seed. It will tolerate some alkalinity and extended dry periods and is very frost tolerant once established (-6ºC). It is susceptible to Phytophtora cinnamomi if conditions have poor drainage, excessive moisture and hot weather. It requires deep infrequent watering to establish deep roots in the first 2 years. Do not prune on old wood or you may kill the plant. It is a great bird attracting plant, screen or hedge.
Given the problems of too much moisture, poor drainage and hot weather, B. ashbyi is rarely grown in tropical and semi-tropical districts but I wonder whether there are intrepid growers of this Banksia among our members? I suspect it may need to be on a slope where some sand has been retained, and where it receives afternoon shade from tall trees and a cooling breeze on hot days.
Grevillea georgeana
*Ade Foster
In honour of our guest speaker, I have chosen to write about my favourite Grevillea.
Grevillea georgeana was first collected by D. McGillivray & A. S. George in 1976 and introduced into cultivation by Olde and Marriott in the 1980s. It occurs naturally in Western Australia in the inland south-western region and is restricted to ranges north of Southern Cross between about Koolyanobbing and Diemals. It grows in open shrub-land or on plains in shallow, stony soils on ironstone. Its magnificent red and white flowers are seen in Spring and summer.
Perhaps the most striking of all the Grevilleas, G. georgeana does best as a grafted plant onto G. robusta stock. It should be planted in an open, warm, full-sun position. It is remarkably prickly, even unpleasantly so, and care should be taken when siting the plant so that dead leaves are not blown onto pathways or into other garden beds. They will easily penetrate leather gardening gloves and seem to last a long time without breaking down. Weeding beneath a G. georgeana is an experience, and should be undertaken with great care!
G. georgeana is named in honour of WA botanist A.S. George, and is pollinated mainly by birds. It is visited by many species of honeyeaters, and its prickly habit makes it ideal habitat for small birds in the garden, a perfect deterrent to predators.
If you have a hot, sunny position in your garden and are prepared to do battle with the spiny leaves, do yourself a favour and get a G. georgeana. You won’t regret it.
ED. This Grevillea grows to between 1 – 3m in height and 4m in width. It has a peak flowering between July and October in its native range. Its flowers are red with a white limb or occasionally may be completely yellow-cream. The deeply divided leaves are 3-7cm long and very prickly. It prefers a Mediterannean climate so give it a chance in a sunny, breezy, well drained position.
*Ade Foster is the Editor of the APS Geelong Group newsletter in Victoria. Seek an interstate Group’s newsletter by finding it’s URL on Google or your favourite search engine.
October Bush Walk
We are planning a bush walk on Saturday 7th October. The date is earlier in the month than usual because the main flowering season will be drawing to a close. The destination is the Salvation Track in Ku-ring-Gai Chase. Because it is a rather long drive, the plan is to car pool so that only a few cars go.
The plan at present is:
Meet at 9am in the little park in Castle Hill Road near its junction with Pennant Hills Road, ie Thompsons Corner. It is officially called the Mt Wilberforce Lookout Reserve. You need to approach the park from Thompsons Corner so you can drive in easily and park the car for the day.
A few cars drive to Ku-ring-Gai Chase – I suggest the park fee is shared.
Proceed to the picnic ground not far from West Head for morning tea and a look at the view if desired (toilets available).
Drive back to the entrance of the Salvation Track. This track is short, 2km, but actually I suspect we will only go a short distance. It is fairly flat and mostly not very rough. In early October last year the flowering in the low heath areas was amazing with many species including Boronia serrulata, Grevillea speciosa and Darwinia fascicularis to name a few. Members could stop and return to the cars wherever they want, so no pressure to go on if getting tired.
Return to the picnic area for lunch. Obviously everyone will need to bring their own food and drink as there are no shops in the national park. Return to the cars at West Pennant Hills after lunch.
Please let Pip know if you are attending this activity (phone 9651 1962), so we have an idea of numbers for the transport.
Garden Renewal
Alan Wright
For various reasons it is sometimes necessary to dig up plants and consign them to the recycling bin or compost heap. Our experience has been a mixture of plants dying, wrong plant in the wrong place due to inexperience or misinformation on the label and the desire just to have a change.
For example, when we moved onto our block in 1970, about 8 months after arriving in Australia, we planted several gum trees too close to the house, a banana tree because it seemed like a good idea at the time; a rubber plant which became a monster and soon after, a jacaranda to give shade over an above ground pool!
Another problem is a Callistemon ‘Newcastle Fire’ which was sold to us as a 4ft high shrub and planted above a sewer line. OK to begin with but is now 5m high and the roots have blocked the sewer line on a couple of occasions. I’m in the process of reducing it to a manageable height and it may not survive the shock!
We had three Acacia iteaphyllas which just died for no reason that we could establish – despite the expert knowledge of our Group and the Acacia Study Group.
So we replanted this particular area with smaller plants including a small callistemon, C. ‘Bush Pearl’, a kangaroo paw, Hakea ‘Burrendong Beauty’ and smaller ground covers.
The scraggy plant in the centre of the picture is the endangered Hibiscus insularis – Phillip Island Hibiscus – which again for no obvious reason is dying. We intend to take some cuttings to try and preserve it but aren’t too hopeful of success.
Another death in the family is a fairly old Banksia marginata. It will be replaced perhaps with a Hakea laurina
A Banksia ericifolia ‘Red Rover’ was too large for the position and was removed and replaced with G. ‘Boongala Spinebill’; Banksia spinulosa; G. ‘Superb’ and a few smaller ground covers.
Another area currently being renewed is near the house as it became a real dog’s breakfast. The Acacia vestita
had an attack of borers, the G.semperflorens was rampant and a large Lomandra was out of hand.
So this area was partially cleared and replanted with more manageable smaller plants including: Chorizema cordatum, another A. vestita (seedling from original); Graptophyllum ilicifolium; G. ‘Lady ‘O’’.
The front garden has been through a similar exercise. Having lost all our Geraldton wax shrubs to Myrtle Rust a few years ago, we were heartened to have several return from seedlings. Also a Hakea laurina which was blown over has several seedlings regenerating and some of these have been potted for replanting. – somewhere!
Finally, two plants which we would never, ever plant again.
Lomandra: The seeds have sown and there are literally hundreds of small shoots everywhere; too numerous to hand weed so spraying is probably the only option.
Hibiscus geranioides: We were given these as seedlings at our visit to Mt. Annan Botanic Gardens a couple of years ago. As they were from the Broome area of WA we thought they would be a bit difficult to grow. Wrong! The root system is massive. A 1m high plant will have root system about 3 m long; the seeds from the flowers sprouted and we have dozens of seedlings from each plant,all with substantial root systems. So be warned!.
*Alan was asked to speak to us when the scheduled speaker advised two days before the meeting that she was unable to attend. He and Jean have a lovely garden but, as Alan tells, it only remains so with work. This time it seems to be because of poor choice of plant for the position, Like Alan and Jean found there is a learning curve for all of us – don’t jump in without checking the area available for the mature plant and its reported ultimate size. A baby plant in a tube may end up a giant. Alan’s thought of a Hakea laurina is great but mine was at least 4m tall and nearly 3m wide so leave plenty of room. I confirm a Hibiscus geranioides “shoots” seeds everywhere.
Alan made the point that his garden was in a constant state of evolution.
A Migrating Fan Flower
*Warren Sheather
On a recent cruise to the South Pacific we came across a familiar flower growing on a Fijian island. The fan- shaped, five petalled flowers indicated that this was probably a Scaevola.
On our return the plant was identified as Scaevola taccata variously known as takkata, taka, beach cabbage, sea lettuce, naupaka and magoo to name a few.
S. taccata is a small to medium shrub reaching a height of three metres. The oblong leaves are up to 15 centimetres long, bright green, thick and fleshy. Flowers are about two centimetres wide, white with a yellow throat and held in axillary clusters. Flowering occurs from March to July with sporadic flowering at other times. The fruits are fleshy and eaten by birds including cassowaries, silvereyes and sea birds. Both foliage and flowers are attractive features.
S. taccata is a tropical species confined to coastal areas where it grows on sand dunes and is found in northern Australia as well as Pacific Islands and countries bordering the Indian Ocean.
The species plays an important role in reducing beach erosion. It is thought that the species migrated from Australia both east and west. Seed was dispersed two ways. Migrating sea birds deposited the seeds when they made landfall. Fruit floats and the seeds remain viable after lengthy periods in saltwater.
*Warren Sheather is member of APS Armidale in whose newsletter this was published first. Warren’s articles frequently appear in Native Plants of NSW.
Ed. Considering most Scaevolas are small shrubs or even prostrate plants Warren did well to identify a shrub reaching 3-4m as a Scaevola. It is among the first plant colonisers on beaches and sand covered coral atolls in the tropics where it frequently is subject to heavy salt spray. In the US and Caribbean nations S. taccata has become an invasive species and displaced a local species S.plumieri.
State of the Climate in 2016
The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) latest report, the State of the Climate in 2016 sounds ominous warnings in regard to climate change. NOAA’s report pointed out that the heat in 2016 resulted from a strong El Niño early in the year and long-term global warming. Climate warnings in the latest NOAA report include:
Global land surface temperatures last year were highest in 137 years of record keeping. Sea surface temperatures were also at their highest.
Sea levels were at record highs in the 24 years that satellite record keeping has been used. Greenhouse gas marks rose faster than any year and carbon dioxide readings were above a 400 parts per million average for the year for the first time.
Eryngium ovinum (Blue Devil)
Having seen the photo of the Eryngium ovinum (Blue Devil) on the Home page of our new APS web site I was intrigued to find that the genus has about 230 species worldwide and yet I don’t recall hearing of it. I suppose that should not be strange given that there are only 4 or 5 of those species among our native plants and nearly 30,000 endemic species in Australia. Perhaps the most surprising thing I learnt was that it is a member of the Apiaceae family to which the carrot andthe Flannel Flower (Actinotus helianthi) also belong – strange “bedfellows”. I will leave you intrigued so that you too visit our new APS NSW web site to see it for yourself.
Another “let us know”. If you find a new plant and like it, let us know because others may too.
More on Indoor Plants – the Kentia Palm
You will recall our article on Indoor Plants last month. One of those listed among the ten best indoor plants was the Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana), more frequently called the Thatch Palm on the island. Chris and Ray enjoyed a holiday on Lord Howe Island where Chris was told that at an earlier time the Kentia Palm was their major export. Indeed it is still exported widely today resulting in it becoming vulnerable in the view of the World Conservation Union. However the trade in the seeds and seedlings is tightly regulated now.
You will notice that genus Howea is derived from the island’s name. There are only two species of Howea, H. forsteriana and H. belmoreana, the latter being commonly known as the Curly Palm, and both are endemic to Lord Howe Island. H. belmoreana is a smaller palm than the Kentia which grows to about 12m, growing more slowly and reaching about 7m high.
However, it does not like root restriction that arises when growing in a pot or tub and is therefore not an ideal indoor plant although it is sometimes used as such.
Norfolk Island with fairly similar weather conditions now grows both Howea palms for export.
As indoor plants Kentia palms will grow slowly in a tub for many years. To keep plants in the same container, replace old spent soil with new potting mix from time to time. The Kentia palm will withstand quite dark and dry corners of your house, and will tolerate a degree of neglect. However they grow best with good light and regular care. Water indoor palms sparingly, watering only when dry.
Kentia palms grown as indoor plants benefit from regular spells outside in a shady, moist position. Such a break will allow rain or hosing to wash the dust from the palm.
Kentia palms prefer well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter. Mulch around the plants or encourage the natural mulch of fallen fronds to collect. Fertilise at least once a year and water regularly, especially during dry periods. Kentia palms will tolerate mild frosts. Direct sun can burn young plants so give palms some protection until they are about five years old.
Another interesting outcome of research arose when researchers took a closer look at the natural histories of these two species. They found that they were in a sense isolated from one another. The isolation is due to major phenological or timing differences in their reproductive efforts. H. forsteriana flowers roughly six weeks before H. belmoreana. Flowering time is certainly enough to drive a wedge between populations but the question that still needed answering was how do such phenological asynchronies occur, especially on an island with a land area less than 12 square kilometers?
As it turns out, the answer all comes down to soil. Individuals of H. belmoreana are restricted to growing in neutral to acidic soils whereas H. forsteriana seems to prefer to grow in soils rich in calcarenite. These soils have a more basic pH and dominate the low lying areas of the island. Growing in calcarenite soils is stressful as they are poor in nutrients. This physiological stress has caused a shift in the way in which the flowers of H. forsteriana mature. When found growing on richer volcanic soils, the researchers noted that the flowers mature in a way that is more synchronous, not unlike the flowers of H. belmoreana.
Thanks to their attention to detailed life history events and conditions, researchers were able to show that soil preferences caused a phenological shift in the flowering of these two related species. Because they flower at completely different times when growing on their respective soil types, H. forsteriana at or near sea level and H. belmoreana about 400m elevation, enough reproductive isolation was introduced to disrupt the random mating process of these wind pollinated palms. As soon as such reproductive biases are introduced, speciation can and will occur. They calculate that the palms’ common ancestor probably existed as long ago as 4.5-5.5 million years.
For more information on these palms visit these URLs
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/02/09/1564994.htm
http://www.indefenseofplants.com/blog/2017/5/1/soil-and-speciation
http://www.junglemusic.net/palmadvice/howea_forsteriana.html
(insert into browser)
Are any members growing a Kentia palm or any other special Indoor plant? Please let us know aboutyour experience. How often does it need trimming, water, a temporary spot in the sun or anything else?
A Profile of Mallee Trees
*Sophie Thomson
There are between 700 and 900 species of Eucalyptus endemic to Australia. Amazingly, over 50 per cent of them are known as mallees. Instead of just a single trunk, mallees have many stems that rise from a large bulbous woody structure called a lignotuber, or mallee root. Most mallees are slow growing, tough trees which originate from arid and semi arid regions. But they’re found from Tasmania to the Tropics and so are iconic Australian trees well worth a closer look.
The Mallee Walk at the Waite Arboretum is just 15 minutes from Adelaide and it features over 100 mallees. But there are four in particular to profile. They are all natives of Western Australia and, like all mallees, are incredibly drought tolerant. However their origin makes them sensitive to semi-tropical conditions so help them if you can.
Eucalyptus pleurocarpa is commonly known as the Tallerack. It’s got fabulous blue grey foliage, which is very thick and leathery and actually quite waxy. In January it produces beautiful lemon flowers, followed by interesting fruit. The fruit and stems have quite a grey bloom to them, but it’s actually a wax that rubs off. It’s a fabulous plant, very tough and if you want to grow it in your garden, prune it to keep it nice and compact.
Another gorgeous mallee with flowers that are almost 5cm across is known as Eucalyptus pyriformis, or Dowerin Rose. It produces magnificent flowers from July through to October followed by fascinating seed capsules. It has beautiful grey green foliage, smooth, salmon red bark, which together make a wonderful combination. The plant filmed by Gardening Australia is almost 50 years old, but it’s been damaged and has re shot from the base. That’s the benefit of the mallee’s lignotuber – it allows the plant to regenerate after fire, wind damage or any other trauma.
Eucalyptus preissiana, or the Bell-Fruited Mallee also has stunning bright yellow flowers, up to 3cm across. They’re followed by bell shaped fruit that appear in about October. The foliage is thick and leathery and a beautiful blue grey colour, but it’s not waxy like the Tallerack. This is one of the best small mallees for a temperate area and it stays lovely and compact. Ed. If you want it here ensure its in a sunny, well drained spot.
Eucalyptus grossa is also known as the Coarse-Leaved Mallee because it has really thick leathery leaves. It’s an attractive plant with beautiful reddish flower buds opening to bright yellow flowers, and afterwards it produces interesting fruit. Another feature about this mallee is that it has reddish new stems and fabulous old grey flaky trunks. Unfortunately it has a tendency to get straggly unless it’s pruned, but pruning will keep it compact. Grow it as a windbreak, a hedge plant, or an attractive stand-alone specimen. The plant we filmed is over 50 years old, and it’s not that big. But if you want to plant one be aware that they’re frost tender when young.
All the trees planted at the arboretum are watered until they’re established, and then they survive on rainfall alone. Unlike some large growing eucalypts with aggressive root systems, mallees have deep roots to tap into ground water, so they are quite suitable for small gardens.
If you want a very tough, slow growing, drought tolerant tree that attracts birds and insects and is small enough that you can get a good view of the flowers, then think about a mallee.
*This was in a segment in the ABC’s Gardening Australia program presented by Sophie Thomson in 2006. It seems just as relevant today.
Parramatta and Hills District Group
Email: apsparrahills@gmail.com
Website: https://austplants.com.au/Parramatta-And-Hills
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APSPARRAHILLS/