Corymbia ficifolia (Syn. Eucalyptus ficifolia) Family: Myrtaceae Origin: South Coastal Western Australia Native to a very small area of south coastal Western Australia, the aesthetics of the red flowering gum have made it one of the most widely planted landscape and garden trees around the world in subtropical and tropical areas. Despite its […]
Brisbane poincianas have been suffering from a plague of caterpillars. The caterpillars are defoliating the poincianas, descending from trees and infesting local residents properties. The caterpillar plague is a phenomenon that occurs around once every seven years in Brisbane. Unfortunately, past caterpillar events have shown that poincianas badly attacked by the caterpillars (or inchworms) often die
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Cinnamomum camphora Family: Lauraceae Origin: China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam The camphor laurel is an invasive weed here in Australia, though in some urban areas such as Graceville and Sherwood in Brisbane they are considered to be of historical significance. In its native lands of Asia, some larger specimens of
I wrote a letter to Bunnings, asking them to withdraw sales of weed species from their hardware stores. They currently sell Duranta , mock orange and Sanseviera trifasciata, mother-in-law tongue at my local store in Brisbane. Sanseviera trifasciata is listed on the Weeds Australia website (of the federal government’s weed advisory service), DAFF, the Queensland
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I used to live in West End and was a member of ‘Friends of the Earth’. I joined a protest or two against this and that, even. I was very keenly biased towards organic, believing it to be the right thing to do. Then I went to uni where I started studying agriculture. My first assignment in agronomy
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Melaleuca quinquenervia Family: Myrtaceae Origin: Australia, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea Broad-leaved paperbark, or niaouli, is a medium-sized, fast-growing tree native to Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia and the eastern coast of Australia–from Botany Bay to Queensland and the Northern Territory. Paperbarks have also spread to the Everglades of Florida, where it is deemed
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Araucaria heterophylla Family: Araucariaceae Origin: Norfolk Island People in climates where this tree can’t be grown outside (most notably in the US) grow what they think are Norfolk Island Pines in pots in their homes. Unfortunately, they’re usually mistaken. What is mostly available as a houseplant is actually the Cook Pine
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Phoenix canariensis Family: Arecaceae Origin: Canary Islands Technically invasive but somehow is forgiven by many; the Canary Island Date Palm (a close relative of the true Date Palm) is widespread in most tropical and subtropical lands around the world. In some areas, it’s naturalized and stands solitarily, enjoyed in the landscapes
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Schefflera actinophylla Family: Araliaceae Origin: Australia, New Guinea, and Java. Naturalised in South East Qld and other places. While this is an Australian native, the Umbrella tree or Schefflera actinophylla can end up being a nightmare in cultivation and in some applications. Knowing where to plant this beauty can help you
Syzyigium australe Family: Myrtaceae Origin: Eastern AustraliaA very popular and native Australian tree, this wonderful (usually) tree is grown in lots of ways. It has been bred into many cultivars suitable for many uses in the garden. Lillypilly can have a lot of names and has been misnamed many times because of the range of
