Australian Society South East NSW Group

Newsletter 156

January 2020

Corymbia maculata Spotted Gum and Contac ts: President, Dianne Clark, [email protected] Macrozamia communis Burrawang Secretary, Paul Hattersley [email protected] Newsletter editor, John Knight, [email protected] Group contact [email protected] Next Meeting Saturday 1st February 2020 at Peide Diae he 17 Tranquil Bay Place, Rosedale South, commencing at 10.30am (The entry is off Tallwood Cres. It is the second corner on the right of Tranquil Bay Place. See map p. 12) Dear APS South East Community, On behalf of the committee I would like to send out a heartfelt note of empathy to everybody. This has been an emotional experience for everyone, and as a society we would like to be able to do something towards the healing. We were due to have our annual general meeting in February but under the circumstances the committee has decided to postpone that meeting, and in its place just get together to tell our stories and marvel at the joys of rain and new green growth. You are all welcome to my place for this informal gathering. Please bring the usual chair and morning tea. Lunch if you feel like lingering. We will be hoping to have our March meeting back at the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens, in the new visitor centre. We are also discussing how this group can assist the recovery and research at the Garden, so please be assured that there will be a chance to help. If for any reason, the weather for that period is likely to be problematic for travel or people need to stay in their area, we will send out an email to cancel. Best wishes to you all. Di Clark, President, APS South East

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The last couple of months have been difficult for many, not just here on the South Coast, but also many other areas of . The devastating bushfires, exacerbated by the long dry spell over recent times, have affected us all in some way. A e ae a Pede Dae e, e ae a ae eeece open discussion, and find support among our Australian Plant Society family as those affected come to terms with the damage caused, the task of re-establishing gardens, and for some rebuilding damaged infrastructure. I know from experience it is not easy to reconcile recent events, but talking among friends helps. Some members have made contact to discuss their circumstance, and I would like to hear from any member whose garden or and/or home was affected during the recent fires. Please email me at [email protected] or Dianne at [email protected] so the committee is aware just who has been affected. The committee will meet to discuss how the group can assist.

With c a ae fced e fe, a ae ffe Meda ead, ad to get on with life, quietly, and without fuss. We recognise this, and will wait for approaches.

Marjorie and Cliff had a brush with the Currowan fire twice, firstly early in December when the fires roared through the surrounding State Forest and National Parks, being pulled up short of their property through mitigation work by the Rural Fire Service volunteers, assisted by Forests NSW workers. One would think that was enough, but the conditions after Christmas saw the fire return to clean out small sections of forest not previously burned. This time Cliff and Marjorie were not Day turns to night as the fire approaches Cliff and Marjorie's property so lucky, and most of their property was burned, although they did manage to save the house, and a few plants close by.

Photos supplied by Marjorie and Cliff

Next time, much closer, now burning through the garden gully

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Last Meeting, "The plants and vegetation of Montague Island, seabird conservation, and the impacts of weeds and other human disturbance and activity". The MINR light station from the RAN rock; looking south-west. Note thriving tree and shrub growth.

Paul Hattersley, MONTAGUE ISLAND NATURE RESERVE (BARUNGUBA): PLANTS, VEGETATION AND SEABIRD CONSERVATION. Members met at the staff tearoom at the Eurobodalla Botanic Gardens to hear Paul talk about Barunguba, eeaa , ae a, e ad eed e ad ac eabd habitat. Paul has been a volunteer tour guide on the island over the last three years and so got to know the island well. He is slowly updating the plant species list for Montague prepared originally by Petrus Heyligers and Laurie Adams, past botanists at the Australian National Herbarium. Paul was pleased to start by a a eea a a a ae a e eea, ae a e 35 slides he showed to members in his last talk to the society (on C4 ae)! B e a aanteeing a a d be a-fee. Montague Island Nature Reserve (MINR) was gazetted as a nature reserve by NSW in 1990, recognizing its importance as a critical seabird breeding habitat for shearwaters (Short-Tailed, Wedge- Tailed, and Sootys), Petrels (White-Faced Storm and Gould's), and Penguins, along with Sooty Oystercatchers, Silver Gulls and terns (Crested and Caspian). It is also valued for its cultural and heritage significance, both indigenous and post-settlement. Geologically, it was fed a a aac ce f e M Deda cac e, c a active 95 million years ago in the Cretaceous Period. Native vegetation and species diversity were significantly damaged by European activities and introduced animal species, especially rats, rabbits, and goats (these have now been eradicated or otherwise removed). I 1878, befe e e a b (1881), e e a a decbed a ceed a ad cb e e e a f MINR a decbed a a dee f eea; was probably due to the prior introduction of goats and rabbits left on the island by sealers and whalers). The pre-European vegetation would have been mostly Mat Rush heath (Lomandra longifolia) (photo below). Interesting areas of Marine Couch-Prickly Couch grass swards (Sporobolus virginicus and ) and rock pool communities (including Cotula coronifolia, Lilaeopsis polyantha, Isolepis cernua, and Samolus repens) also characterised MINR, along with cliff-face communities.

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It is not clear how much tree cover was present on MINR prior to British settlement of Australia; certainly, trees and large shrubs can thrive on the island, as shown by the size and spread of species such as Banksia integrifolia, Acacia longifollia, Allocasuarina spp., Melaleuca armillaris and Eucalyptus botryoides, since planted in re-vegetation programs. As well as grazing pressures from goats and rabbits, the natural vegetation and seabird habitat was severely affected by many introduced View looking south from Lighthouse Rock towards ‘The Twins’, species. Heyligers and Adams (Flora showing recovered Lomandra heath vegetation. and Vegetation of Montagu Island Cunninghamia 2004, Vol 8(3) pp. 285-305) reported that of the 120 native plant species ever recorded on Montague Island, 95 were definitely still present. The number of introduced species ever recorded was startlingly high by comparison (69 species), of which 40 were definitely still present. The worst weeds are: Kikuyu Grass, Cenchrus clandestinus (, ex East ); Turkey Rhubarb Acetosa sagittata (Polygonaceae, ex South Africa); Dolichos Pea, Dipogon lignosus (Fabaceae, ex South Africa); Coastal Morning Glory, Ipomaea cairica (Convolvulaceae, ex Tropical Africa & ); Cape Ivy, Delairea odorata (Asteraceae, ex South Africa); Madeira Vine, Anredera sophorae (Basellaceae, ex ); and, Inkweed, Phytoloca cordifolia (Phytolocaceae, ex Tropical America). Pa ca ee ece e Sf See. Te ae cbe ramblers which can smother and dominate native vegetation, especially kikuyu, coastal morning glory and Turkey Rhubarb. Breeding seabirds will not enter badly infested areas to nest, and even if they do, they can become entangled in the weeds, get trapped and starve to death. Control of these weeds is an ongoing and significant part of NSW NPWS management on MINR. Control is often followed up with revegetation programs.

Removal of goats and rabbits resulted in Volunteers and NPWS staff at work, controlling Coastal Morning the expansion and dominance of some Glory near the jetty. of these weeds, again especially kikuyu.

It is not entirely clear, but this grass was probably introduced for erosion control in the 1950s, and since then it has become the mainstay species used for the network of access tracks across the island. Paul cannot think of native grass species contenders to replace it, except perhaps Marine Couch, with Prickly Couch and Weeping Grass (Microlaena stipoides). It would cost a fortune to produce enough seed of these species to replace kikuyu on the tracks, but this would be ideal as part of a long-term strategy to bring kikuyu more sustainably under control.

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Pa dae f e ece ee MINR aed e f abe:

Ne dced ece ae a MINR, b e ae be ed e bd a ee, ad removed as soon as observed, for example fireweed (Senecio madagascariensis) ad Pe T(Verbena bonariensis). Other species which were thought t be f dbf eece e ae fac ee, f eae Gee Me (Verbascum virgatum). Some once common native species now seem to be rare, for example Smooth Flax Lily (Dianella longifolia), Gunyang (Solanum vescum), and Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra). But it is not all bad news. Revegetation has undoubtedly re-introduced native species that would have been present or more prevalent pre-settlement: Westringia fruticosa, Native Rosemary; Acacia longifolia, Sydney Golden Wattle; Melaleuca armillaris, Bracelet Honey Myrtle; Eucalyptus botryoides, Bangalay; Banksia integrifolia, Coast Banksia; Allocasuarina glauca, Grey She-Oak; and, Allocasuarina littoralis, Black She-Oak. Furthermore, some native plant species seem to be recovering/have recovered, for example Scurvy Weed (Commelina purpurea), NZ Spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides), Red Kennedy Pea (Kennedia rubicunda), and Common Reed (Phragmites australis). In addition, some new native species are appearing on the island: these include Cherry Ballart, Boobialla, Callistemon sp., and Eucalytus species. Some of these may have been introduced as contaminants in pots of seedlings brought in for revegetation programs, or perhaps e ae deed aa introductions. For example, new land bird species are being recorded and observed every year (eg galahs, lorikeets, brown quails, buff-banded rails) and species with appropriate seed can obviously arrive on the wind. Some unexpected natives occurring on MINR include: one Bd Ne Fe (Asplenium australasicum) and an epiphyte Oak Fern, growing south of and at the base of ‘Lighthouse Rock’, where it receives water run-off.

Australian Plant Society South East NSW Newsletter 156 January 2020 Page 5 upon it (Sickle Fern, Pellaea falcata subsp. falcata), Oak Fern (Histiopteris incisa) and Rough Tree Fern (Cyathea australis two individuals), and Cumbungi (Typha cf. domingensis). These seem to have survived not only European impacts, but also the effects of rising sea level and the isolation of MINR as an island following the last ice age. This would have meant increasing exposure of the vegetation to gales and salt. The vegetation of MINR has been changing for centuries, under the impacts of the varying management regimes or land uses since British settlement. It is still very dynamic; there is no way one can say it is in a ead ae a ca ae. Rece aaee a dbed ed eabd beed aba. The challenges for management will presumably continue to be maintaining and enhancing seabird breeding habitat, primarily through weed control. An issue for the future may be the effects of now having tree and shrub species thriving and spreading on the island, with possible consequences for vegetation and seabirds from the impacts of increased fuel loads and thus fire intensity. The island is vulnerable to fire, particularly perhaps after drought followed by a lightning strike.

To emphasise the significance of Montague Island for seabird conservation, Paul then showed us many lovely images of seabirds which depend on MINR for breeding habitat and, indeed, in one case at least (Gd Pee), f a a a pecies.

Crested Terns, October 2018. Gathering just before nesting.

Finally, Paul entertained us with a sound clip of a rescued penguin waiting for its dinner! And encouraged all who had not yet done so, to make a visit to the island by showing images of the kind of spectacle one might be lucky to see when taking a boat trip to or from Barunguba. Feeding frenzy

We saw seabirds and dolphins having a feeding frenzy on a shoal of fish, and a video of a humpback whale with her calf.

Humpback whales

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Members warmly applauded Paul for his presentation. Depth of knowledge and passion for Montague Island was amply demonstrated by the detail Paul was able to impart during the presentation. Thank You Paul.

Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens

By now most members will have learned that ERBG has suffered severe damage as fires passed through the Batemans Bay area on New Year Ee and subsequent days.. We have learned that the recently developed Visitor Centre and the Herbarium / office complex were spared any damage, but most of the gardens and surrounding bush areas have suffered severely. At our gathering in February, Dianne will discuss the extant of damage, and what work is underway to protect the nursey plants, many of which were scorched badly but may recover with suitable care. Watering by hand is necessary as the reticulation system was rendered inoperable as a result of the fires. There is much we can do to assist in the rehabilitation work, but at present the site has been declared unsafe, and to ensure safety, the public is not permitted access. No doubt when the safety processes have been worked through, members might be invited to assist. Of course we are interested in seeing the valuable collection of plants maintained, and there might be an opportunity to assist with survey work to determine the rate and scope of regeneration. Any member interested in helping out at ERBG is invited to contact Dianne in the first instance, and she will keep you informed when any work might commence.

Visitor Centre, safe but surrounded by devastation. The Nursey shadehouses suffered, but many plants may be entrance bridge from the carpark has been completely salvaged. destroyed.

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In My Garden

The raised garden bed mentioned previously has been fenced, (thanks Geoff for assistance) and planting has begun in earnest. The fence looks a bit odd, being a wire mesh that would usually be hidden in the bacad, b I eeded a e e f e e f a I d e . Ad aa important to keep the wallabies at bay if any plants are to survive their constant search for fresh fodder during the current dry period.

The first of the Goodeniaceae plants, including Dampiera, Lechenaultia and Goodenia have settled into their sunny home, and look appreciative of the warmth. So far 159 plants are in, and there may still room for a few more, as I hope to develop a fairly thickly planted heath to discourage weeds. Just a day after the first planting, I noticed that the Lechenaultia biloba flowers had all disappeared. Surely e ad shrivelled after planting, so I kept alert for signs, and sure enough next day we were visited by not one, but two male bowerbirds, looking for deca f e be. Mabe I eed roof the garden as well! Some plants have been very successful. Among the Goodenias are G. rotundifolia, a vigorous ground cover which grows to about 1m. across, but looking at its growth so far, it might get bigger. Pruning is definitely on the cards. A hybrid Goodenia from the Goodeniaceae seminar makes a bushy shrub to 1 m. high, but might just get a bit bigger. I noticed a couple of plants in other gardens have already reached the expected dimensions. Pruning, of course. Flowers on this plant are large by Goodenia standards. Another great foliage plant, G. albiflora, from South Australia, and growing on alkaline soils, has intense grey leaves and large white flowers through spring and summer. Growing to around 60cm high, it makes a nice backdrop to the blue flowers of Dampieras close by. I have a number of dwarf, suckering Goodenias, and the open soil of the garden has encouraged these to spread already, so some will be potted up to give others a chance to try them. Included are G. pusilla, G. humilis, G. blackiana, G. affinis with grey rosettes and lovely yellow flowers, and G. gracilis. These would all be happy growing as a groundcover in a large Goodenia humilis is a tiny suckering herb, growing container. about 10-15cm high. As shown, flowers totally surround the plant through spring and summer A favourite is Goodenia macmillanii, which has scented pink to purplish flowers through the warmer months. Growing naturally in the far south eastern corner of NSW and Vic., it is a shrub to about 1m. but can be kept smaller with pruning. Plants sucker readily, and cuttings from these suckers are easily propagated. Scaevola porocarya, which grows around the Geraldton area in W.A. has very large flowers, up to 40mm across, of light to dark blue from winter to late spring. Foliage is bright green, and the plant can reach 1.5m high under ideal conditions. It has proved vigorous, and has already had a prune, with a follow up due soon. Cuttings strike easily, so plants should be available this year if anyone wishes to have a go with this unusual plant.

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Scaevola striata occurs naturally on sandy soil in SW Western Australia. It has proved difficult to keep alive on the more humid east coast, but is successful as a container plant. A prostrate form, S. striata ‘Pink Perfection’ is fairly reliable in very well drained soils in an open sunny position.

Scaevola striata 'Pink Perfection' spreads to around 80cm., and suckers lightly. It needs to maintain vigour to keep growing well. Drainage is very important.

More recently the common Jacky Dragon, Amphibolurus muricatus, was spotted digging a hole. Searching for food ? unlikely, so I observed for a short time to discover she was preparing to lay eggs. When finished, the hole was backfilled and the area smoothed over to hide her location. But as the soil contains a healthy proportion of blue metal, her area is well marked by a small collection of metal chips at the surface.

In My Garden, Norm and Lesley Hulands We are becoming used to Norm and Lesley showing off some spectacular Banksias growing in their heavy granitic soil at Moruya. Last year they grew some Sturts Desert Pea, Swainsona formosa from seed collected in South Australia. Some of the flowers produced viable seed, which was sown in autumn, and seedlings were planted on a raised mound of their heavy soil to which was added some coarse sand and compost. In late spring these plants, somewhat stunted due to the dry conditions, produced quite a number of flowers, as shown, and have also produced another crop of seed. Maybe after a couple of generations these seeds might produce plants more adaptable to our humid summers. Time will tell.

Plants that have survived the recent long dry period Over the last couple of months I have been looking at which plants have coped without additional watering since I began planting just over 9 years ago. Whilst there has been notable failures, which I might consider listing at some future time, now is the time to mention the positive news, so below is a compilation of plants which are now 9 years old. Austromyrtus tenuifolia, Baeckea brevifolia, Banksia spinulosa gold, Callistemon viminalis dwarf, Epacris longiflora, Eucalyptus olsenii, Grevillea Caloundra Gem, G. patulifolia, G. thyrsoides grafted, Hibbertia dentata, H. diffusa, H. obtusifolia upright grey leaf,

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Kunzea ambigua, Lomandra confertifolia ssp rubiginosa, L. longifolia, Marianthus ringens, Micromyrtus ciliata, Persoonia linearis, P. prostrata, Philotheca buxifolia, P. trachyphylla, Pittosporum revolutum, Psuedanthus pimelioides, Tetratheca thymifolia, Thryptomene denticulata, T. saxicola, Xanthorrhoea glauca, X. australis, The following are more than 6 years old: Acacia floribunda, Anigosanthos flavidus forms, Banksia oblongifolia, Billardiera heterophylla, Brachycome multifida, Callistemon Kings Park Special, C. viminalis, Chrysocephalum apiculatum, Correa baeuerlenii, C. Marians Marvel, Crowea Poorinda Ecstasy, Dianella longifolia, Elaeocarpus reticulatus, Eucalyptus leucoxylon dwarf, Grevillea arenaria (Shallow Crossing), G. caleyi, G. ‘Elegance’, G. linearifolia, G. ‘Pink Midget’, G. sericea Collaroy Plateau, Guichenotia ledifolia, Hibbertia grossulariifolia, Indigofera australis, Leionema Green Screen, Lepidosperma urophorum, Leptospermum morrisonii, L. petersonii, L. polygalifolium, Melaleuca laterita, Orthrosanthos multiflorus, Persoonia pinifolia, Prostanthera lanceolata, Sannantha pluriflora, Scaevola aemula (re-seeds annually) Stenocarpus salignus, Telopea mongaensis, T. speciosissima, Thomasia foliosa, T. purpurea, Viola hederacea, Westringia fruticosa forms. Other members might like to present a list of plants which have been successful over time, as the information may be useful to others who are looking to establish some reliable plants in a garden. You could send me a list for future publication.

Potting Mix Trial I am trying to find a suitable mix that plants will be happy to grow in, and produce reliable results. With many commercial mixes, the plants tend to grow very quickly, which is an ideal requirement for commercial growers, who need their stock to look in peak condition to ensure quick turn over. No doubt many have purchased plants which look to be prime specimens, but when planted out seem to struggle, or worse, die before rewarding a purchaser with expected performance. This is not to place blame on growers, as they have no control over the conditions which plants are given. But I have noticed over the years that potting mixes are getting lighter, and fertiliser ratios are also increased to ensure plants can keep performing at their peak whilst in containers. When planted into garden soils, the roots find it difficult to transition from the ideal mix into the heavy clay based soils. Observing roots under a microscope, the fleshy roots within the commercial soils have low ratio of surface root hairs, as they have a constant and consistent amount of fertiliser available. From my nursery experience, mixes which were available 20 to 30 years ago were much heavier, and plants tended to develop roots more in tune with those which would develop in a garden situation. The work I am doing will never be commercially viable, as the mix is far too heavy, and handling therefore more problematic. Physical handling at the grower and reseller ends would be more difficult, and freight costs also increased. But that should not preclude attempting to find a solution to a problem I believe is growing. (no pun intended) Some of the mixes and plants included in the trial

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I have now used a variety of ingredients to develop 10 different mixes, with various proportions of soil, sand, gravel, stone, charcoal, cocopeat, pine-peat and commercial potting mix. Mixes have performed differently depending on the combination of materials. Fertiliser is measured into the pot at potting up, to ensure all mixes receive the same amount. At this point, varying dry weights of mixes range from 485 gram per pot for the commercial mix, to a whopping 1035 grams for the mainly sand/stone combination. The pots used are Super Tubes 90mm square x 150mm deep, which hold 0.8 litres of mix. Potted plants are first soaked to saturation, then drained into a container. The free water is weighed to determine the air filled porosity of each type of mix. Pots are weighed on each of 3 consecutive days to determine water loss and use, with pots without plants used as a control to see how much water the plants actually take up. It is intended that plants in the heavier mixes will only require to be watered every 3 days during the warmer months, and less frequently in the cooler months. This compares with commercial mixes which need daily watering, and in some cases twice on hot days due to the excessive, softer foliage. So far, results are encouraging, with Proteaceae species, Banksia, Grevillea, Hakea and Isopogon producing good proteoid root structure and balance. Growth of plants in the heavy mixes are slower to develop top growth when compared to the control plant in straight commercial mix, but the growth exhibits great leaf colour without any signs of lacking trace elements. It will take a couple of seasons to get meaningful data, and then planting the specimens into soil to see how they cope. Currently Phil and Catriona, and Norm and Lesley are assisting with the project. As we each have different conditions, and water availability, I am keen to see how the project unfolds.

Committee news

Annual General Meeting As noted earlier in this newsletter, the committee has postponed the AGM to a later date as members come to terms with recent fires. However, now is an ideal opportunity for each and everyone of us to consider assisting in managing the Groups affairs by joining the Committee. For our Group to function successfully, it is important, and necessary, to have a strong committee to plan and implement activities for the benefit of all members. The AGM presents an opportunity for all members to offer themselves to join the committee, keeping the Group invigorated and active. As is often the case, getting people to volunteer to join a committee is nigh impossible, despite the fact that the workload of our small committee is not onerous. Leaving it to “someone else” may be an easy option, but does not address the needs of the Group. Now might be time to consider your personal involvement, so the Group continues to promote the growing of Australian plants in our gardens. If you would like to discuss how you could be involved in the committee activities, call a current member as listed on the back page.

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From Batemans Bay

From Tomakin Map for directions to President Dianne's home.

COMMITTEE CONTACT DETAILS President, Dianne Clark Ph 0402 555 330 e. [email protected] Vice-President Geoff Gosling Ph 0438 286 382 e. [email protected] Secretary, Paul Hattersley Ph 0412 426 413 e. [email protected] Minute Sec., Treasurer, Geoff Gosling Ph 0438 286 382 e. [email protected] Membership Jenny John Ph 0437 304 173 e. [email protected] Publicity Dianne Clark Ph 0402 555 330 e. [email protected] Members Marjorie Apthorpe Ph 02 4478 1142 e. [email protected] John Knight Ph 0434 674 347 e. [email protected] Website. southeast.austplants.com.au

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