Mallee Native Plants

Xanthorrhoea johnsonnii (Grass Tree)

1 Comment »19th January, 2009; Category: Kangaroo Paws And Other Tufted Plants, Parks and Gardens

Xanthorrhoea johnsonnii

I was delighted to see well grown plants of Xanthorrhoea johnsonii in Canberra Botanic Gardens, which has to be my favourite Botanic Garden. This photo was taken in the dry bushland section near the daisies and rockery. They are wonderful architectural plants and look spectacular with their dark trunk. The National Botanic Garden is built on a hillside with what must be great drainage, which these bush plants need.

I discovered that Canberra city has the same annual rainfall as Adelaide, so much of what I saw growing there has a fair chance of success in Adelaide and environs.

Growing Eucalyptus From Seeds

40 Comments »17th January, 2009; Category: Eucalypts, How to plant, Propagating

Collection of Eucalyptus nuts

The Eucalyptus gum nuts (woody fruits) that are left on the tree after it has flowered, contain seed and chaff. When they have ripened some fall off naturally, or are nipped off by parrots and lorikeets.

These gum nuts can be collected and placed in a container or paper bag and left in a dry place until the valves in the top of the nut open and release the seed and chaff.

Some trees hold the nuts way past the first year. It is always best to take the older nuts as then you will be sure that the seed is mature and will germinate.

Some species of Eucalypt do not set much seed in the nuts, and some seed will not germinate.

Eucalyptus macrocarpa gum nut with seeds and chaff

Some easy ways to germinate the seeds:

Containers

Use a clean pot, about 100-150 mm across the top, with holes in the bottom.

Seed raising mix

You can buy seed raising mix from garden centres and some large supermarkets. It keeps, so just store it in a clean container, with a lid.

You can make your own with clean (washed) coarse sand and cocopeat.

The cocopeat is available from garden centres and supermarkets. The block is the size of a house brick and is made from coconut husks.
Half fill a 9 litre bucket with water, place the cocopeat brick in the water and leave it to absorb the water and expand and become moist and crumbly.
Use about two parts peat and one part sand mixed together.

Sow the Seed

Fill the pot to within 2 cm of the top of the pot and tap the pot on the table to settle the mix.
Press the surface of the mix lightly to make it smooth.
Sprinkle a pinch of the seed/chaff over the surface of the mix.
Sprinkle a very light layer of the seed raising mix over the seed.
Label the pot with the name of the species and the date.
Labels can be made from the lid of an icecream container, or pop sticks.

130mm pot sown with Eucalyptus macrocarpa seeds

Caring for the pot of seeds

Stand the pot in a container like an icecream container and fill the ice cream container with water.
The water will soak up through the seed raising mix and wet the surface of the mix and the seeds.
The surface of the mix should be kept moist, not soggy, so once the moisture is there, keep the water level in the ice cream container at about 3cm.

(You could use a fine spray from a hose to water. Be careful that it is fine so that you do not wash the seed out of the pot.)

Seed container in icecream cotainer

Keep the pot in a sheltered, well lit spot, out of direct sun if the weather is hot.
Seed should begin to germinate in 2-4 weeks, depending on the air temperature.
When the seed has germinated, keep the water level in the icecream container quite low, or remove it altogether, keeping the potting mix just moist.

Eucalyptus largiflorens(Black Box)

5 Comments »15th January, 2009; Category: Eucalypts, Hardy Australian Native PLants

Eucalyptus largiflorens (Black Box)

This is an attractive small to medium tree, 10-20 metres high by 8-15 metres wide, with large clusters of cream flowers loved by bees and Honeyeaters. Black Box are known as good honey producing trees. These trees are seen on the banks or rivers and lakes in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, usually in low lying areas where water once lay. This stimulates the seed germination and is why stands of these trees are often seen in the middle of nowhere. If lakes or rivers have flooded, these seed capsules are left washed at the highest point at that time which may never be reached again. The soils in these areas are clays to heavy loams, which of course makes them ideal for such soils in home gardens, where the soils are poorly drained or alkaline. These trees are also resistant to heavy frost. Flowering is between August and January.

I can’t believe that the proposed name change for this tree is ‘Symphymomyrtus’ ie. the plant is possibly called Symphymomyrtus largiflorens! I haven’t kept up with all the Eucalyptus name changes, except for Corymbia ficifolia (Eucalyptus ficifolia, Western Australian Flowering Gum).

This photo was taken on the banks of the Murrumbidgee at Hay, in NSW.

Eucalyptus largiflorens

Eremophila oppositifolia x

1 Comment »13th January, 2009; Category: Drought Tolerant Plants, Eremophila

Eremophila oppositifolia x

We had lunch at Murrayville in Western Victoria at a rest area and this Eremophila formed a screen on one side of the picnic table. I am not really sure whether it is a hybrid, but it has the look of Eremophila oppositifolia, but then again, not quite. So I am assuming it is a hybrid, as many Eremophilas do form natural hybrids in the wild and they are being propagated. This plant has pink flowers with spots in the throat. The pure Eremophila oppositifolia has white, cream, pink or purple flowers, all of which are very pretty plants.

In most cases the plants I have seen are around two metres tall. These possible hybrids were about two and a half metres tall and nearly the same width.

Further along the road is a planting that I admired and had a number of photos of from a couple of years ago. I was really disappointed to see so many of the plants dead. This area has been in drought for a while. Some Eremophilas need a reasonable rainfall, probably deep drinks, infrequently, rather than small amounts often.

Eremophila oppositifolia x

Brachychiton rupestris (Bottle Tree)

3 Comments »3rd January, 2009; Category: Hardy Australian Native PLants, Parks and Gardens

Brachychiton rupestris (Bottle Tree)

I found this unusual tree in a park in Nerrandera. It grows to a height of 10-20 metresÂ and a width of 5-15m. It has yellow belll flowers in clusters, each flower about 5 cm long, in Spring and Summer. It grows in full or part sun, in acidic to mildly alkaline sand loam or clay, and tolerates some dryness. It is suitable hills areas and inland planting. The foliage can be partly deciduous, and stock will eat it.

This plant is suitable for pots, parks and large gardens in favourable areas. As it is so slow growing, it would take many years to be a large tree. More information can be found here.

This plant has been used by Aboriginal people as bush tucker. Warning: the seed pods of Brachychiton rupestris (Bottle Tree) have irritating hairs.

Foliage, roots and seeds are edible, however seeds must be roasted. Another warning! Be sure of the identity of all bush tucker plants before eating!