Episodes
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Woolly Tea Tree in Plant of the Week
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Scientific name: Leptospermum lanigerum
Common Name: Woolly tea tree
Family: Myrtaceae
Etymology: leptos, meaning slender, and sperma, meaning seed.
lanigerum, is named using the Latin word for wool-bearing, describing the silky hairy leaves and hairy buds, shoots and young capsules.
Height: 3m by 3m wide
Location: any soil in sun and will tolerate heavy shade. Frost hardy to -7C
Description: Dense shrub to small erect tree with persistent fibrous bark on larger stems, smaller stems shedding in stringy strips.
- Not all tea trees have green leaves, and this one has pewter grey or silver tiny leaves with typical 5 petalled tea tree flowers.
- May be limbed into a small tree. Light summer water though very drought adapted. Excellent background shrub or screen or large informal hedge.
Takes well to pruning as the leaves are tiny and the more you prune the bush will become more dense.
Listen to the podcast to find out more
I'm talking with Adrian O’Malley, native plant expert and officianado
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Aussie Blue Devil in Plant of the Week
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Monday Aug 30, 2021
pt 4
Scientific name Eryngium ovinum
Common Name: Blue Devil not the Sea Holly from norther Europe
Etymology: Eryngium refers to Sea Holly and ovinum refers to sheep-apparently sheep graze on these plants.
Family: Apiaceae-carrot family
Height/width: 60cm-1m by 60cm-1m
Description: Semi-evergreen perennial with green thistle-like foliage and unique feather-like blue cylindrical flowers during Summer. Dormant from Autumn through to late Winter. Long-lasting cut flower. Grows approx. 70cm tall x 40cm wide.
- When heavily if flower, the plant, not just the flowers turn blue. "By mid summer the flowering stems extend to 60 cm and a mass of crowded bright blue flowers is produced with long, spiky bracts to 2.5 cm in globular, thistle-like heads on rigid branched stems. " (from anbg.gov.au)
In Adrian's temperate garden, the Blue Devil has not died down as it reputedly does in cooler climates. Grows in most soil conditions in full sun.
Listen to the podcast to find out more
I'm talking with Adrian O’Malley, native plant expert and officianado
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Aussie Salt Bush is Plant of the Week
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Monday Aug 30, 2021
pt 2 Silver leafed plants
Scientific name:Rhagodia spinescens
Common Name: Aussie flat bush; spiny saltbush
Family: Chenopodiaceae
Height: 0.5-1.5m tall by 1.5-4metres wide.
Flowers:January -April, tiny cream panicles, fairly insignificant.
Conditions: frost and mildly drought tolerant, best suited for temperate and semi-arid regions.
Location: tolerant of soil types and will grow in full sun or dry shade.
Uses: prune to shape as a hedge or leave to make a groundcover.
Quite a vigorous grower and hugs the ground so makes great habitat for native reptiles and small birds.
Ozbreed has a compact form makes a great ground cover and performs better if it is pruned annually or more often if a manicured look is desired. 30-50cm x 1m wide
Listen to the podcast to find out more
I'm talking with Adrian O’Malley, native plant expert and officianado
Version: 20240320