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Cycads Cycads are ancient seed plants dating back over 200 million years. In the Jurassic Period cycad-like plants dominated world vegetation, which is why this era is sometimes referred to as ‘The Age of Cycads’. However, through the centuries cycads have...
Autumn is perhaps the best time of the year. That’s when clear, gentle days are filled with the russets, golds, scarlets, crimsons and the purples of all those wonderful autumn leaves. The cooler areas of Australia are the best for autumn colour – Perth,...
Fiddlewood The fiddlewood is a lovely West Indian native tree grown for its attractive foliage and fragrant flowers. Both the genus name citharexylum (from the Greek – kithara, lyre, and xylon, wood) and the common name of fiddlewood refer to the use of the...
Flowering Gums In Don’s opinion, ‘Summer Beauty’ and ‘Summer Red’ are the best flowering gum trees ever released. These plants were specially bred for the home garden. They are hybrids between the West Australian red-flowering gum...
Flowering Peaches The flowering peach, Prunus persica, was thought to have originated in Persia, hence its species name ‘persica’. However, it has long been the subject of Chinese poetry, art and tradition, and may well have been brought into cultivation...
Fringed Wattle When wattles start to flower it’s a sure sign that spring is not too far away! Some of the wattles in Don’s garden are flowering now, including the fringed wattle (Acacia fimbriata). This is a bushy Australian native shrub or small...
Juniperus chinensis ‘Kaizuka’ or the Hollywood juniper is a medium sized conifer growing to about 3m (10′) tall. It is an outstanding plant featuring slightly twisted branches which give the vivid green foliage a swirling, tufted appearance. It is...
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...
Brunfelsias are evergreen shrubs from tropical America. There are about 30 species, all with tubular flowers which change colour over successive days. Don’s favourite, Brunfelsia bonodora, has masses of violet, lilac and white scented flowers. Plant details...
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...