Correa Mail Newsletter No 340 – August 2018

PRESIDENT’S REPORT Bruce McGinness The sale is a major event in our calendar and has relied on the good will of Arthur and Linda Pape The AGM was opened by our President, Bruce allowing us to run the sale on their property. This year’s McGinness, who welcomed all and gave his President’s plant sale went well in splendid weather with a lot of Report. For those who weren’t able to attend …. people coming through the gates. It is such a perfect spot to run the sale making organisation of the sale a lot I would like to start off by thanking the members easier; for this we are very grateful to Arthur and Linda. who make this club work - members who regularly turn Without member participation the sale would never get up to meetings, including AGMs, and help setting up off the ground. Everybody from the BBQ attendants and pulling down. Things that we take for granted like getting covered in fat, canteen workers sweltering in how the presents for the photography competition the igloo and collectors at the front gate are an integral appear and the thought that goes into them—thanks part of the event. Matt and Nicole’s input into the for doing that Matt. children’s activities and the plant table have ensured The supper is always a highlight going by the that this attraction is improving every year. Arthur said difficulty to get members to return to the meeting he wouldn’t miss hosting the plant sale for the world; room; we appreciate the trouble taken to make sure so, may there be many plant sales at Wirrawilla in the this happens every meeting. Thank you to the bakers future. and organisers of the supper. The projector, screen and other technologies are faithfully taken care of by Ade each meeting and the presentation is diligently recorded to be printed in our well-produced newsletter; a big thank you Ade for all the work you do for the club. The raffle always goes off without the hitch due to Carmel’s diligent attention to making sure everything is in order. Quality for the raffle are provided so thankyou to Matt who ensures that there are some great plants available. The plant table is always a drawcard for the meeting, and everyone appreciates the diversity of plants brought in and the stories that are told about them. It takes a bit of trouble to race around before the meeting to collect samples; it is another example of members Our fearless leader, Bruce McGinness contributing to the club.

A club cannot function without a secretary - Phil’s We kicked off the year with a BBQ at Arthurs and dedication to secretarial duties has been inspirational. Linda’s. This is always a fun venue and we were not As is the treasurer’s position, Frank has performed this disappointed. A fabulous time was had by all who job for many years and is a job that is essential for a attended; thanks again Arthur and Linda. club to operate; thank you for your commitment to John and Barbara Bell hosted the APS Geelong finances of the club Frank. Committee members Christmas party at their property, it was a brilliant bringing their ideas to meetings are a vital part of gathering at a lovely garden. It is a lot of trouble hosting keeping the club ticking along and I appreciate them a large group so thankyou John and Barbara for doing making time for this and opening their homes for this and showing us around your garden. John and meetings. Barbara opened their gardens again to members in

President: Bruce McGinness – [email protected] Secretary: Phil Royce: [email protected] Treasurer: Frank Scheelings – [email protected] Editor: Ade Foster – [email protected] Australian Plants Society, Geelong: P.O.Box 2012, Geelong . 3220 Website: www.apsgeelong.org

March as did Phil and Dianne. This was a well-attended biloba is an erect shrun to about 2m. The day perusing two well-designed gardens with a fabulous flowers are pinkish and almost furry, with long yellow range of plants. It puts a bit of pressure on your stamens. It is found on the hillsides and rocky outcrops gardening maintenance schedule when you have a east of Perth. group of people around so thanks for opening up your Bossiaea walkerii is a striking found in the arid gardens. and semi-arid regions of south-central Western We are only a small club of about 40 members give Australia, central South Australia and central western or take a few. I think we do pretty well, but I think we New South Wales. It is a tangled mass of flattened can improve on getting some new ideas for activities to photosynthetic stems and features deep red pea the committee that is going to be voted in tonight. So flowers. The are only present on juvenile growth, please get involved in the club in any way you can and but are tiny – less than 2mm. give the committee your ideas.

TREASURER’S REPORT Frank Scheelings

Frank presented his treasurer’s report and tabled copies for interested members. Those not in attendance could email Frank for a copy. The club is in a good financial position with the Plant Sale once again our major fundraiser. Other sources of income include the monthly raffles and our Rare Plant Auction. Our profit for the year was $2122. Our bank balance is healthy and Frank suggested it might be time to look at some projects which we could help to fund. Bossaea walkerii – Photo: Murray Fagg ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 17th July, 2018 Hypocalymma xanthopetalum is a small, erect shrub After the official reports were presented, all with small yellow flowers. It is found on the coastal committee positions were declared vacant and Ade plains of between Perth and Foster was asked to conduct the elections. Nominations Geraldton. A great cut flower. were received as follows :- There were a number of Thryptomenes, among them T. stenaphylla, with bright mauve/purple flowers; T. President: Bruce McGinness saxicola , which is more pink than mauve, and T. Vice President: Matt Leach calycina, The Grampians Thryptomene, with pinkish Secretary: Phil Royce white flowers. Treasurer: Frank Scheelings Also from the Grampians was Baeckia crassifolia or General Members: Sheila Deakin, Carmel Addlem, Heath Myrtle. It is a tough little shrub, with tiny white, Matt Baars, Di Royce, Denise Cromer and Ade Foster pink or deep mauve flowers mainly from late winter through summer. Does well with a light pruning after All were elected unopposed. Long-time Committee flowering and is salt and drought tolerant. member, Roger Wileman, stepped down at the AGM after some thirty years in various roles. We are grateful to Roger for the wonderful contribution he has made, and continues to make, to our club. Thanks, mate.

ON THE TABLE with Matt Baars

The plant table was a little smaller than usual, but no less interesting for that. The usual Correas and were in abundance, but there were quite a few more unusual specimens, and it’s those I’ll write about this month. Halgania andromedifolia is a small shrub to about 1m, from the southern coast of Western Australia. It has dark green, shiny leaves and deep blue flowers Pembertonia latisquamea is a shrub with large, cross between banksii (red form) and Grevillea purple daisy flowers, and is found on the coastal pteridifolia, which also has large deep yellow flowers. sandplains from Geraldton to Exmouth, Western My plant is about six years old and grows in full sun Australia. Unusually, this plant is reported to be a against the wire wall of our cat house. I prune it back sometime climber. fairly hard after flowering each year. This keeps its size Grevilleas on show included true species dielsiana, in check, and helps to promote flowering in the next sericea, bronwenae, laevis and paradoxa. Hybrids season. This year it has been flowering since late included Lassiter’s Gold, Superb, Ivory Whip, Molly, November, and has been really stunning. Thorny Devil, Peaches’n’Cream, Ellendale Lace Matt Baars had two very interesting specimens among those he brought along. Guichenotia macrantha is a small to medium shrub from 1 to 2 metres high. It has lovely purple flowers which are prominently displayed with a hanging attitude. Matt’s plant is in a pot and, unlike the others examples of this plant on the table, is a dense and compact shrub bearing masses of slightly smaller flowers. Matts other interesting one was a spinulosa which he grew from a plant table cutting over thirty years ago.

PLANT OF THE MONTH - Grevillea ‘Lassiter’s Gold’ By Ade Foster

Phil Poustie won the door prize and chose Grevillea ‘Lassiter’s Gold’, brought along by yours truly, as plant of the month. I did have some difficulty finding information on the plant, but was finally steered in the right direction by someone ‘in the know’. Lassiter’s Gold is a very showy plant when in flower with masses of huge, honey/gold coloured flowers measuring up to 250mm. It reaches a height of 1.5 FUTURE MEETINGS metres but may spread its cascading branches as far as 6 metres! So, choose your spot carefully. 21st August Frank will present a tour of High Country flora as an appetiser to our proposed weekend in the Alps. See Bruce’s article on Page 10.

18th September Octavia Chabrier – Jan Juc Creek Revegetation Project 16th October Cathy Powers – Moths 20th November Tony Cavanagh - Dryandras December Xmas break-up. TBA

UPCOMING EVENTS

September Garden Visit Saturday, 22nd September Members are invited to Visit the Kevin Hoffman Walk

followed by afternoon tea at Matt and Pam Baars’ nd It is believed to have stemmed from a seedling of house on September 22 . We’ll meet at the work shed Grevillea ‘Golden Lyre’ at Fairhill’s nursery near Yandina on Walkers Road, Lara at 1.00 pm then move on to Matt on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. It is also known and Pam’s at around 2.30. Afternoon tea supplied. If as Grevillea ’Crowning Glory’. ‘Golden Lyre’ is itself a you’d like a beer or a glass of wine, please BYO. th hybrid of Grevillea formosa x Grevillea 'Honey Gem'. G. October Garden Visit Saturday, 13 October. formosa is a large spreading shrub from the Northern Members are invited to visit the gardens of Frank and Territory with big, yellow flowers. ‘Honey Gem’ is a Tina Scheelings, and Ade and Penny Foster on October 13th. We’ll meet at Frank and Tina’s at 7 Admiral Court, Highton at 1.00 pm then move on to Ade and Penny’s at coloured flowers about thumb nail size. The majority of around 2.30. Afternoon tea supplied. AS before, if you’d species require sunny, arid conditions. They grow and like a beer or a glass of wine etc, please BYO. flower very well after fires or disturbed ground, often where a grader has cleared the roadside verge. Most APS GROUPS’ PLANT SALES species are easy to grow from cuttings. The grow and flower well for only about two years in the garden, but 1st September - APS Wilson Park Plant Sale – Venue TBC with cuttings grown for replacement plants can continue for many years. 8-9 September – APS Yarra Yarra Plants Expo- Eltham Community Centre, 10.00am – 4.00pm. $5 entry

22nd – 23rd September – Bendigo Native Plants Flower Show. Kangaroo Flat Primary School.

6th -7th October – Pomonal Flower Show, Pomonal Hall.

13th October – APS Mitchell Plant Expo – Kilmore Memorial Hall. 9.00 am – 3.00pm.

27th – 28th October – APS Ballarat Spring Flower Show. Ballarat Botanic Gardens, Robert Clark Centre.

LECHENAULTIAS by Roger Wileman Pink and yellow form of Lechenaultia formosa Lechenaultia is a genus of plants in the Goodeniaceae family with approximately forty species. The colour variation in some species can be They are named for the French Botanist Sean Baptiste extreme. L. biloba can vary from intense dark blue, Lechenault De La Tour (1773 - 1826). Robert Brown had through light blue to white with combinations of all met Lechenault and assumed to spell his name the colours growing side by side. L. formosa can be dark French way with the " S" " Leschenault " and red, pink, yellow or red and yellow. L. macrantha, the subsequent writers followed suit, but reverted to the Wreath Lechenaultia, is one of Western Australia’s best correct spelling in the 1950s. known plants. It is a small prostrate plant with masses of flowers around the edge resembling a wreath, this species also varies greatly in colour even on the same plant. Unfortunately, L. marcantha is very hard to propagate and keep alive in a garden setting.

Lechenaulti biloba

Of the forty some species, twenty six occur in the Lechenaultia macrantha – Wreath Lechenaultia. South West of Western Australia, three in Central

Australia and two in the far north of Australia. One of PHOTO COMPETITION which, Lechenaultia filiformis also occurs on the

Southern coast of New Guinea. Our annual Photo Competition was restricted this The Lechenaultias are among my favourite plants. year to two entries per person per category. Rather They are usually small or prostrate plants with brilliant than to curtail members’ enthusiasm, it was to simplify the voting process and avoid multiple tied placings in all categories. It didn’t work!  The photographs on display were most interesting and of the usual very high standard. The entries in the ‘Landscape’ section were particularly good. The winners in all three categories were worthy winners indeed. And the winners in each category were …

AUSTRALIAN FLORA.

=2nd place - Ade Foster - Eremophila cuneifolia, a grafted plant from his garden.

1st place - Tony Cavanagh – A different view of Darwinia oxylepsis, a rare and difficult plant on its own roots. Taken in an Ocean Grove garden

3RD Place – Carmel Addlem – ‘Burrendong Beauty’ from her garden.

AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE

1st – Tony Cavanagh – Cassawary close-up, Milla Milla Falls, North Queensland.

=2nd place - Ade Foster - Branching Fringe-lily, Thysanotus juncifolius, taken at Anglesea 1st place – Phil Poustie – Early morning on Toolondo Reservoir

=1st – Ade Foster - A Yellow Spoonbill bathing – Serendip Sanctuary, Lara

2nd place – Matt Leach - Taken on the Arkaroo Rock Trail, Flinders Ranges, South Australia.

Then came a five way tie for 3rd place, with the members deciding to award =3rd to all five, rather than draw straws to decide the winner.

=1st - Carmel Addlem – Emu chicks at Wings Wildlife Park, Gunn’s Plains, Tasmania

AUSTRALIAN LANDSCAPE

=3rd – Sheila Deakin – Eucalyptus macrocarpa along the Corrigin South Road, Western Australia.

=3rd – Penny Foster – The You Yangs above the fog taken from the Barrabool Hills CLARIFICATION In last month’s Correa Mail I mentioned a Grevillea which I had purchased as G. drummondii, but which Matt Leach said it was G. pimelioides. As proof that someone reads the newsletter, I had this response from Phillip Vaughan, from Vaughan’s Australian Plants in Pomonal. “The grevillea in question is G. pimelioides. The problem stems from the fact that the label company still continue to produce the picture tag with the wrong name on it, despite being aware it’s wrong. They say that people know the name ‘drummondii’ and associate it with the yellow/orange plant. is rarely, if ever, grown in cultivation. It is a small shrub .3- =3rd – Penny Foster – Rock formations at The .6m with cream flowers ranging to pinky red. It grows in Pinnacles, Western Australia the Bindoon area north of Perth.”

=3rd – Barb Bell – John catching gold at the end of the Grevillea pimelioides rainbow. Thanks Phil (and Matt) for the clarification, I’ve

amended my garden plant list.

A STUNNING HAKEA by Ade Foster

I spend way too much time browsing Facebook sites – Australian Orchids, Victorian Birds, South African Wildlife – enjoying photos from around the world. On a Western Australian Orchid site last week, Terry Dunham posted a photograph of a most unusual Hakea. He has kindly allowed me to use his photograph here. is a rounded sometimes sprawling shrub, from about 0.6–1.6 m tall. It is found in south-western W.A. from York to Manjimup and east to about Jerramungup, including in the Porongorup and Stirling Ranges. It grows typically heath or mallee-heath,

rd in sandy or gravelly lateritic loam soil. The leaves are =3 place – Carmel Addlem – Sunset from her back long – 7cm – and almost cylindrical or, sometimes, door in Moorabool. triangular in section. They are very sharply pointed.

The flowers are in axillary groups form a long raceme

along the branches and are described as ‘bluish or

having a blue/purple tinge’. The flowers which Terry

photographed near Ongerup were very blue indeed.

Weeds typically produce large numbers of seeds, assisting their spread. They are often excellent at surviving and reproducing in disturbed environments and are commonly the first species to colonise and dominate in these conditions. A weed can be an exotic species or a native species that colonises and persists in an ecosystem in which it did not previously exist. Weeds can inhabit all environments; from our towns and cities through to our oceans, deserts and alpine areas. (Federal. Dept of Environment & Energy)

Now, the weeds in the Waurn Ponds garden are in Victoria and a check of the Agriculture Victoria website Hakea lehmanniana – Photo Terry Denham. revealed the following:

The fruits or seed pods are unusual too, in that they are Invasive Plant Classifications covered in spikes. Declared noxious weeds Frank Scheelings has a mature plant in his garden Under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 which is flowering as I write. I wonder if any members (CaLP Act) certain plants are declared as noxious weeds have this plant in their garden, or know of anyone else in Victoria. These plants cause environmental or who has it in cultivation? It certainly is a stunner. economic harm or have the potential to cause such harm. They can also present risks to human health. The WEEDS IN THE GARDEN Pt I by Phil Royce CaLP Act defines four categories of noxious weeds: • State Prohibited Weeds A weed, oops, many weeds, have visited my garden and • Regionally Prohibited Weeds too many of them have decided to put down roots. To • Regionally Controlled Weeds quote Banjo Patterson: '…word had got around the • Restricted Weeds. plant world that the garden of Phil & Di is the place to be…'. OK some license has been taken. But what plant is a weed? In this article are photos from my garden of three that I consider to be amongst them:

Weed 2 - Everywhere

Weed 1 in the Scaveola Invasive plants are categorised into one of the above four categories for each catchment region in Victoria. And according to the Federal government: State prohibited weeds either … 1. do not occur in Victoria but pose a significant A weed is any plant that requires some form of threat if they invade, or action to reduce its effect on the economy, the 2. are present, pose a serious threat and can environment, human health and amenity. Weeds are reasonably be expected to be eradicated. also known as invasive plants. Many plants introduced If present, infestations of a State prohibited weed are into Australia in the last 200 years are now weeds. relatively small. They are to be eradicated from Victoria if possible or excluded from the State. The Victorian identity of the three plants in my garden that I think are Government is responsible for their eradication, but weeds. under Section 70(1) of the CaLP Act, it may direct land owners to prevent their growth and spread. COOTAMUNDRA WATTLE. By Ade Foster

Phil’s article about weeds and the glorious spray of colour on the corner of my street reminded me that the Cootamundra wattle, Acacia baileyana, is declared a weed in many parts of Australia, although not of the ‘noxious weed’ category in Victoria. In the August 2013 edition of Correa Mail I wrote an article about a Cootamundra wattle of my acquaintance, part of which I’ll reproduce here.

“On the corner of the street where I now live, in Belmont, there was an ancient Cootamundra wattle. 25 years ago it was huge and magnificent, filling the front yard, and adding a certain pleasure to the cold days of winter. Over the years, the borers attacked, it became rotten and branches fell away. But it wouldn’t die. Eventually, two winters back, all that remained was a Weed 3. In the path gnarled trunk with two straggly branches. Though each still bore a spray of magnificent yellow blooms, the tree If you think you have purchased or seen a State was doomed. The owners removed it, and with it went a prohibited weed, please contact the Department of piece of me. I loved that tree! Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR) by telephoning 136 186.

Regionally prohibited weeds are not widely distributed in a region but are capable of spreading further. It is reasonable to expect that they can be eradicated from a region and they must be managed with that goal. Land owners, including public authorities responsible for crown land management, must take all reasonable steps to eradicate regionally prohibited weeds on their land. Regionally controlled weeds are usually widespread in a region. To prevent their spread, ongoing control measures are required. Land owners have the Seedlings of A. baileyana in August, 2013 responsibility to take all reasonable steps to prevent the growth and spread of Regionally controlled weeds on But the removal of the tree meant sunlight on the their land. ground and years of fallen seed began to germinate. Restricted weeds include plants that pose an Seedlings sprang up in profusion – over fifty at one unacceptable risk of spreading in this State and are a stage. Most did not survive, but this week there are serious threat to another State or Territory of Australia. seven, all about 2 metres high, and all promising to Trade in these weeds and their propagules, either as return that little piece sunshine to my winter’s days.” plants, seeds or contaminants in other materials is prohibited. (Agriculture Victoria) And, indeed, in this very cold winter, I can do with a little sunshine! Those seedlings have flourished and this Well, blow me down. From all this reading, most of week, they provide a magnificent welcome to Hazel which you can't see, I discovered that even our national Street. They stand taller than the house and, in my floral emblem Acacia pyncantha is a declared weed in mind anyway, shout defiance at the cold, wet miserable Western Australia and overseas in South Africa. winter. In the next article on weeds, I'm going to look at weeds in our region (Coranagamite) and see how it impacts on us in APS Geelong Inc. And, hopefully, I’ll have the high mountain but provides an environment where alpine plants flourish with easy trails to follow through the snow gums. Marysville provides an excellent overnight base with a well-equipped caravan park just near the intersection that heads off to the mountain. Mt Baw Baw at 1567 metres is another alpine destination with a meandering climb from the ski village to the summit taking in a range of alpine flora on the way. There are many other short walks or drives that will take you through different alpine habitats.

The same seedlings of A. baileyana in August, 2018

A weed it might be, but you can’t beat a Cootamundra Wattle to put a little colour into a dreary August streetscape.

PROPOSED ALPINE TRIP Bruce McGinness

There was a discussion at the last committee meeting regarding a trip to a Victorian Alpine area in summer. The summer time in the Alps is a splendid destination Gautheria appressa, Wax Berry – Mt. Baw Baw with many plants out in flower accompanied by wonderful mountain vistas. In the last two years I have Mt Hotham at 1861 metres is one of my favourite visited Lake Mountain, Mount Baw Baw and Mt destinations, as the roads winds its way up to Mt Hotham. They each have their own particular Hotham from Harrietville the alpine panorama opens personality due to altitude and location. Frank will be up and brings up one of my favourite views which is the speaking at the upcoming meeting on alpine flora and razorback ridge winding off into the horizon to Mount will give a preview of the alpine flora that can be seen in Feathertop. The higher altitude brings a different summer. Frank prefers the Falls Creek area for alpine palette of alpine plants with many easily accessible flowers and will no doubt feature a lot of the plants walks to see them. Accommodation is good value in the from that area in his presentation. summer at various ski lodges on the mountain and is readily available to larger groups.

Mt. Hotham - ’Room With a View’ walking track Myoprum sp ., Lake Mountain

If there is member interest in an APS Geelong group Lake Mountain was burnt out in the bushfires of trip to an alpine destination please contact me or any February 2009 and is slowly recovering. Slow growing committee members so that we can start planning for a alpine plants are gradually bcominging re-established. It trip. Some of the destinations are a long drive but it is is a destination relatively close to Geelong for an Alpine well worth the effort of getting there to experience all experience. With an elevation of 1433 metres it is not a the Alps have to offer.