Liquidambars Liquidambars (Liquidambar styraciflua) are native to North America, where they are commonly known as sweetgums. They are large, fast growing deciduous trees, which can reach 25 metres (82′) high and spread to around 12 metres (39′)....
The loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is a small, compact evergreen tree. The foliage is dull green with a downy reverse and tends to grow in bunches on the ends of the branches. The white flowers appear in late autumn and winter. The round to oval shaped fruit is plum...
One of the most delightful things about life is the changing of the seasons. First the winter, with those hearty soups and the crackling and flaming of an open fire. In the spring life is renewed, with all the birds building their nests and fresh leaves appearing on...
Japonica camellias are the best known and most popular camellias grown in gardens today. Not only do they produce beautiful flowers in the depths of winter when everything else is bare, but they also have glossy evergreen foliage. With few pests or diseases to bother...
If you like Australian native plants, and particularly if you like attracting native birds to your backyard, then she oaks are plants well worth considering for your garden. She oaks come in a variety of sizes – from ground cover, through to shrub, small and...
Don’s Best Indoor Figs Indoor plants can add enormous beauty to your home, as well as giving it a natural, relaxed feel. One of the most fashionable plants in Australia at the moment is Ficus benjamina, the weeping fig. Although it is a rainforest giant in its...
Named after the 17th century Italian botanist Pietro Antonio Micheli, michelias are a small genus of trees and shrubs from southern Asia and the foothills of the Himalayas. They belong to the Magnoliaceae family along with their close relatives the magnolias, but...
Prunus x blireana One of the best spring blossom trees, Prunus x blireana is a cross between the Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) and the purple-leaved plum (Prunus cerasifera ‘Pissardii’). Plant details Common name: Purple-leafed Plum Botanic name: Prunus x...
Scribbly Gum Scribbly gums (Eucalyptus haemastoma) are spectacular Australian trees with smooth, whitish yellow bark. The bark has a prominent feature which was written about in Snuggle Pot & Cuddlepie – strange looking ‘scribbles’ resembling...
She oak If you like Australian native plants, and particularly if you like attracting native birds to your garden, think about planting a she oak. They have woody, barrel-shaped cones containing slender, winged seeds which birds like Glossy Black Cockatoos and...