Australian Native Plants at the ANBG Canberra

[Paul T]

The subject for today will apparently be Correas, as I have collected a few pics of different varieties in the last week or two.  I hadn't intended to photograph for a feature on them, but it seems like I was meant to by the selection I ended up with.... 




Correa alba var alba has small flowers to about 1.5cm wide, but they open out instead of the more traditional tubular flowers on most Correa.  This plant is about 50cm tall by around 1m wide.  It still has some size to attain as well.




This is a somewhat sprawling version of Correa backhousiana, but I have seen more upright forms.  This would be 1.5m wide I think, but it is hard to tell as a number of plants grow together in the area.




This Correa glabra var glabra is a good dense shrub, with glossy green leaves and green flowers.  It looks good by itself, and good as a mass of them planted together.  The combination of such dense growth and the nectar rich flowers would make it a haven for small birds, especially honeyeaters.  The plant in the picture is about 1.3m tall, by perhaps 80cm wide.  The flower would be about 3cm long or so.






Correa lawrenciana var glandulifera is a much larger plant than the previous ones I've just shown.  This plant is around 5m tall (that overhang you can walk under with a good distance of head clearance, to give you an idea of the size.  The flowers are slightly longer than many of the genus (being around 4cm or so?) but it grows into a large shrub instead of something small, so in many ways the flowers appear smaller than they are.  I have seen a couple of these plants in different places and they all have the larger size.

[Paul T]

This is Correa reflexa, or should I say that this is one of the forms of it.  It is a very variable species with types that range from groundcovers of only a few cm tall, to this plant which is probably close to 1.7m in height.  It also varies considerably in size and shape of flowers, and the size, shape and texture of the leaves.  I'll include a couple more reflexa forms below, with their names included.


Correa reflexa - Variant 1 (that's how it is labelled)


Correa reflexa 'Black Range, which I assume refers to the place it was found.




Correa reflexa 'Kangaroo Island Form' was obviously found on Kangaroo Island in South Australia.  It is a more delicate plant in appearance, but is a strong grower, with quite slender flowers.





This is a hybrid of Correa reflexa and C. pulchella.

That's it for right now with the Correas, but there are certainly plenty more of them around.

[Sinchets]

Hi Paul- only just discovered this thread- well done on the postings. Is there any change in the attitude to native plants among gardeners over there? I remember 20years ago suburbia seemed to be acres of roses, daylilies and fuchsias. Even the 'Botanic Garden' in Ballarat seemed to be mainly nothern hemisphere plants! I went to a nursery in Cheltenham, Melbourne, which stocked some natives, and that made me wish I could have brought some 'up north'.

[Paul T]

Simon,

Very much so.  The difference in rainfall patterns over the last 10 years in particular has meant that people are becoming much more water conscious, and there is a much greater push to plant more natives that are drought tolerant.  There is a big movement towards native plants, to put it mildly.

[Sinchets]

That's good to hear, Paul. I did a lot of planting of natives with the ATCV- I hope to come back some day and see how the areas look.

[Otto Fauser]

Simon , pity there was'nt a FORUM 20 years ago-we could have met in Melbourne while you were here . There is an Australian Native Plant Nursery only 15 minutes
from my home , beautyfully landscaped and an amazing range of plants- certainly the most comprehensive one in Australia . Look at their Stocklist on
 www.kuranga.com.au   
   There are many australian plants that are not drought tolerant , obviously those from rainforrests and alpine plants from the mainland and Tasmania .

[Sinchets]

Thanks Otto. I spent 6 months planting trees and shrubs in some amazing places around Victoria. One day I will return and see how they are doing

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

Some more from Mid April....




An unknown (by me) Leptospermum sp., about 1.8m tall with small flowers, but lots of them.




Leptospermum rupicola is quite a low plant, this one being maybe 35cm high and a metre wide.


This is Eriostemon verrucosus 'J. Semmens', a "double" flowered form of the species.  This was only a small plant, so no point showing the whole thing.






Diplolaena microcephala is an unusual plant, with green flowers in hanging clusters.  This was about 1.2m high by about the same wide, but I am not sure how mature it was.

[Paul T]

I have shown Acronychia imperforata before, but at the time I forgot to show a photo of the whole plant.  Here is a reminder of the flowers and a full pic.  Very attractive to butterflies and honeyeaters.




This Banksia ericifolia is a good strong colour.  Growing in a fair bit of competition, this plant was quite sparse, but still flowering quite well.


The yellow form of Calostemma purpurea (formerly known as Calostemma lutea).


A bicolor red and yellow form of Calostemma purpurea

Enjoy.

[Gerdk]

Thank you Paul - always something new and worth admiring!

Gerd

[David Nicholson]

Lovely Paul, I think I've fallen for Calostemma

[Paul T]

Gerd,

Glad you're enjoying the pics.

David,

You and me both.  I've definitely fallen for them over the last few years.  Very cool plants. 

[Just Plants]

I noted the posts on Australian Native Plants at the Australian National Botanic Gardens. I also live in Canberra and enjoy regular visits. We have had over 100 mm rain here over the weekend (late summer), and coupled with good rain over Christmas, we can expect a great flowering year there in coming months. But while viewing plants in gardens is good, growing them is even better! I have had two Australian native plants in flower recently that would be of interest to readers of this forum - Golden Weather Grass (Hypoxis hygrometrica Labill.) and Diplarrena latifolia, as well as Bulbine bulbosa which is a bit of a weed here. You can see pics of the Hypoxis on my blog : http://utopiacanberra.blogspot.com/2010/02/gardening-in-february.html. I also have Dietes robinsoniana growing - for over 10 years in a frost free spot (under a tree) - It flowers at the ANBG, but so far it hasn't done so for me. Any suggestions on why would be welcome. Just Plants

[Maggi Young]

Hello, Just Plants, welcome to the Forum. I'm in Aberdeen, Scotland, so no useful advice from me for you.... but the other Aussies and those with better climate than I will help, I'm sure  

BTW....
I must congratulate you for your choice of quality links from your Blog pages!! 

[newstart]

Hi I know this is 2 years to late to post in this thread but I wanted to say some of these plants are really awesome and thanks Paul ! Not sure how often you post these days but thanks for all the pics.