Mallee Native Plants

Eucalyptus macrocarpa (Mottlecah)

Eucalyptus macrocarpa (Mottlecah) fruit

Eucalyptus macrocarpa is a plant from Western Australia and is much valued for its huge dark pinky red flowers and grey- green foliage in floral art work. The gum nuts measure about 3 inches (75mm) across and are also very decorative. When they split to release the seeds, an opening is left which will hold a small candle. With the base levelled off these make a great Christmas decoration.

This beautiful shrubby tree has been the subject of some comments on an earlier article that I wrote. I responded to one reader who asked about the life span and hardiness of the tree…

â€œI can tell you from experience that Eucalyptus macrocarpa is a long lived plant. One that I know, at the end of a school playground, continues even now after 25+ years of being trampled, swung in, climbed through, footballs thrown in etc. Another near where I live is about 23 years old. These are mallee plants ie, shoot from the base when broken or cut or burnt, and have multiple stems. They need good drainage and airflow around them otherwise they tend to suffer from sooty mould. Eucalyptus macrocarpa is well worth trying for the flower display. It would make good large pot plants if you cannot give it the conditions that is needed.â€

Another reader’s comment would interest Australian plant growers.

From Ron…”I have grown Eucalyptus macrocarpa in my garden for more than 20 years. They seem to thrive on the hot/dry summers we have here in Escondido, CA. (We only average about 12 inches (300mm) of rainfall a year and recently we havenâ€™t even seen that. Our rainy season in in the fall and winter.)

I rarely ever water the plants and they are very adapted to drought once established. My trees (very shrubby, multibranched, 12ft.(4metres) high) are absolutely beautiful. Although the oldest of my 3 trees is a little more than 20 years old, I know of several in San Diego (about 20 minutes from my house) that are more than 35 years old and I suspect thay live a lot longer than that.
So they have a very long lifespan.”

The conditions sound like mine here except that we are experiencing drought at the moment and have no subsoil moisture. Even the native plants are struggling. (The photo above shows some sooty mould on the leaves.)

Bursaria spinosa (Christmas Bush)

No Comments »8th December, 2007; Category: Drought Tolerant Plants, Hardy Australian Native PLants

Bursaria spinosa (Christmas Bush)

This is one of several ‘Christmas Bushes’ in Australia. This is the one that grows in South Australia and is a sparse shrub to about 3 metres tall around this area of the Mallee. In the South Eastern part of the state they are quite substantial trees with bushy crowns and the with the appearance of snow all over them when in flower. The flowering period is from early November through to February.

I remember as a child picking armfuls of the branches to take home and arrange in a big vase to place in the open fire place which of course was not in use during the summer. The trouble was that ants love the plants which drip with nectar when in full bloom.

Bursaria spinosa (Christmas Bush)

Grevillea robusta

1 Comment »5th December, 2007; Category: Drought Tolerant Plants, Hardy Australian Native PLants, Trees

Grevillea robusta

Grevillea robusta is a large tree and grows very well in our dry, highly alkaline soil. At this time of the year it has these fiery orange clusters of ‘spider’ flowers. The honey eaters and lorikeets find this a great food source and many complaints are heard of the rowdy birds at dawn and sunset especially.

These make good windbreak and screening plants. Many are grown in house yards but as they can be rather large need to be kept away from the house. A general rule is that the tree needs to be as far from the house as the tree’s ultimate height.

Grevillea robusta is the plant onto which other species of grevillea are grafted.

Grevillea robusta

Brachychiton (Kurrajong) species

13 Comments »4th December, 2007; Category: Drought Tolerant Plants, Trees

Brachychiton diversifolius (Kurrajong)

This is one of the Kurrajongs. I am not sure of the name as some seem to be lumped under the title Brachychiton diversifolius. This is the lovely sight at the entrance to a country town near here. The rainfall is a little more and is more reliable. I guess the pH of the soil is less there also which would make a big difference to the growth rate and ultimate size.

This is a tree of lower rainfall areas and quite harsh summer conditions, appearing in western New South Wales.

The flowers are like small bells in this delightful bright pink colour, followed by black boat shaped seed pods. Last week there was a carpet of spent flowers under the canopy of the tree.

Brachychiton diversifolius (Kurrajong)

Brachychiton diversifolius (Kurrajong) blossom

Australian native Plants in Flower Arrangements.

1 Comment »30th October, 2007; Category: Banksias, Using Australian Natives

Banksia coccinea in flower arrangement

At the latest Flower Show and Plant Sale put on by the Australian Plants Society in Adelaide were a number of wonderful floral arrangements using Australian native plants. I cannot recall the style in which these were done but all featured the bold and brash flowers.

This one uses Banksia coccinea as the feature flower. In the background is the grey -green foliage from Adenanthos serieus (Woolly Bush). Woolly Bush is the easier of the two plants to grow and they are quite drought tolerant. I have seen few good specimens of Banksia coccinea in South Australian gardens. I believe they are being grown in the Hills for the cut flower trade. The soil in that region is less alkaline and well drained. As a rule of thumb, Banksias will grow where there is excellent drainage even if the soil is alkaline.

The use of a mallee stump to form the arrangement makes this a truly unique Australian ‘picture’.