White Bat Plant Don looked at one of the world’s weirdest plants. The white bat plant, as it is commonly known, has strange, almost bizarre flowers resembling a bat’s black face with white ears and long whiskers. It is found naturally in south-east Asia...
Not all Australian native plants are worth growing. Don looked at a lovely native tree which has become a weed. Plant details Common names: Native daphne, sweet pittosporum, mock orange, native laurel Botanic name: Pittosporum undulatum Description: A tall shrub or...
Orange Trumpet Creeper The orange trumpet creeper is a South American native which puts on a spectacular display of brilliant orange flowers from winter through to spring. Plant details Common name: Orange trumpet creeper, flame vine Botanic name: Pyrostegia venusta...
Pieris, also known as lily-of-the-valley shrub, is a charming and versatile plant for the cooler zones of Australia. One of the most popular varieties is ‘Christmas Cheer’, a shrub which grows 1-2m (3-6′) tall and has delicate, icing pink flowers. In...
Pink Trumpet Vine Surprisingly, the pink trumpet vine has been out of fashion in Australian gardens for a long time. As well as pink trumpet vine, this showy plant is also commonly known as Port St. John creeper, after its place of origin in South Africa. Its genus...
Sasanqua Camellia Are you tired of plants that tend to drop dead on you, even though you seem to spend half your life mollycoddling them? If so, Don suggests you consider planting sasanqua camellias (Camellia sasanqua). These wonderful plants are hardy, versatile, and...
Silver Nugget Leucophyta brownii ‘Silver Nugget’ or dwarf cushion bush is a small Australian native member of the daisy family. It has tiny hairs growing all over its leaves, giving the plant a silver appearance. The hairs reflect heat, reduce the rate of...
Spanish Moss This strange ‘air plant’ occurs naturally from Argentina to the southern United States, including the Louisiana bayous. It is not a moss at all, but a member of the pineapple family (Bromeliaceae), which is often found hanging on the branches...
Although not very well known in Australia, Spathoglottis plicata is the most common terrestrial (ground dwelling) orchid in Singapore, where it is often used for landscaping. There are two species of spathoglottis in Australia, and they belong to a group of over 40...
Spring flowers Many plants are starting to flower now that spring is in the air. Don looked at Grevillea ‘Little Miss Muffet’. It is a hybrid between G. sericea and G. speciosa, and has very pretty pink spider-like flower clusters. The native...