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TAMWORTH GROUP NEWSLETTER Summer 2016-7

Eucalyptus blakelyi

PRESIDENT Martin O’Rourke 0409 036 668 [email protected] ▪ President’s Notes VICE PRESIDENT Matt Cosgrove ▪ Threatened Species Garden 6765 2693 Report [email protected] ▪ Plant Table SECRETARY Kerrie Gray ▪ Yallaroo PO Box 1193 Tamworth 2340 ▪ Prue’s Garden 6701 7509 ▪ Quirindi Community Nursery [email protected] ▪ Woodsreef ▪ Book Review ASSISTANT SECRETARY Craig Pullman ▪ Warren’s Plant Picks 0428 649 581 ▪ Membership fee increase [email protected] ▪ Meeting dates for 2017 TREASURER Lee Esdaile 6760 8525 [email protected] PUBLICITY Doreen Goddard 6760 6216 MEMBERSHIP Lee Esdaile REGISTRAR 6760 8525 [email protected] CATERING Prue Campese 6766 3423 ACTIVITIES OFFICER Beth Stokes 0458 515 738 [email protected] LIBRARIAN Greg Carr 6760 8331 Disclaimer [email protected] The articles contained in this NEWSLETTER EDITOR Beth Stokes newsletter do not necessarily 0458 515 738 reflect the views held by APS. [email protected]

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PRESIDENT’S NOTES PLANT TABLE By Martin O’Rourke By Martin O’Rourke

Happy New Year to everyone for 2017, Sonya gave me the lists of plants that BilI but what a year 2016 was. It started off had compiled from March 2007 to March well but then we had that very dry spell, 2015. The latter years were not complete then the heavens opened and the newly lists but a selection where Bill wrote about enlarged Chaffey Dam filled and spilled. them. I aim to list all the plants displayed But other big things happened in 2016. and the month and year onwards from We lost a friend and patron, Bill Hardin. March 2007 to the present in Excel. So far Then our big event came along: the 2016 I am up to Oct 2009 and it includes 380 APS NSW Get Together in Tamworth. records.

The Tamworth Get Together 2016 was When I have compiled the complete list it terrific and went very well due to what I will give us an idea of what plants our believe was good organisation, an group has growing in Tamworth that has excellent program and dynamic speakers. been brought into the plant table. Once Some of the feedback we got was “I was this is done I will compare them to the list apprehensive of how the Get Together that Bill compiled for his book “Australian would go in a regional area and I was Plants Suitable for Tamworth Regional pleasantly surprised”. We knocked their Council Areas – 2004” and see if as a socks off. I believe we set a high standard. group we have grown some different A big thank you to all those who helped plants to the ones in Bill’s book. put it together, opened their gardens or led the tours. Without such dedicated people it August 2016 There were 42 different would not have worked as well as it did. species, of which 19 were not on Bill’s list from 2007 to Oct 2009. Not sure what 2017 has installed for us Botanical but I hope that it is good. One item that will Common Name be on the agenda and that the APS Name executive will be pushing is the “Strategic Acacia

Plan October 2016 to September 2019”. I acinacea am sure that we will hear more about it as Acacia Cootamundra Wattl the year unfolds. So in the meantime keep baileyana planting, growing and appreciating our Acacia continua Australian Native Plants. Acacia Cut Leaf Wattle cultriformis THREATENED SPECIES Acacia decora Showy Wattle Acacia GARDEN REPORT Sandpaper Wattle By Martin O’Rourke denticulosa Acacia Jumping Jack Wattle During the spring Matt Cosgrove and enterocarpa Acacia Martin O’Rourke collected seed from Gossamer Wattle floribunda Callistemon pungens Prickly Bottle Brush, Acacia Spreading Wattle or Early Daviesia elliptica and Hakea genistifolia Wattle macrorhyncha. The plan is to grow them Acacia lineata Streaked Wattle Acacia up and plant them out in single species Mountain Wattle groups. The focus will be to consolidate montana Acacia what we have by planting out many plants rhigiophylla of few species rather than few plants of Acacia many species. sinuata

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Acacia October 2016. There were 18 different Mudgee Wattle spectabilis species, of which 7 were not on Bill’s list Acacia from 2007 to Oct 2009. spinosissima Acacia Botanical uncinata Common Name Name Acacia vestita Hairy Wattle Bulbine Banksia Old Man Banksia bulbosa serrata Bursaria Banksia sp Blackthorn spinosa Chamelauciu Geralton Wax Callistemon m uncinatum “Pink “Pink Champagne” Eremophila Champagne” glabra Callistemon Prickly Bottle Brush Eremophila pungens Spotted Emu Bush maculata Common Net Bush, One Calothamnus Eremophila Sided Net Bush, One sided Silky Eremophila quadrifidus nivea Bottlebrush Eucalyptus Chamelaucium Bell-fruited Mallee Purple Geralton Wax preissiana uncinatum Grevillea Doodenaea Hop Bush or Sticky Hop "Scarlet King" viscose Bush Grevillea Eremophila

“Canberra laanii

Gem” Eremophila Grevillea maculata "Blue Eremophila "Blue Thunder" Wee Jasper Grevillea iaspicula Thunder" Grevillea Eremophila Silky Eremophila juniperina nivea Guichenotia Grevillea Large-flowered Guichenotia macrantha “Caloundra Hakea Gem” Red Pokers bucculenta Grevillea

Hakea “Molly” Emu Tree francisiana Grevillea

Hakea “Winpara Gem” multilineata Grevillea Gully Grevillea or Large- Hakea barklyana leaf Grevillea Purple Hakea purpurea Melaleuca Scarlet Honey myrtle Hardenbergia fulgens False Sarsparilla violacea Melaleuca Wilson's honey-myrtle or Indigofera wilsonii violet honey-myrtle Indigofera australis Ricinocarpus Wedding Bush Leptospermu pinifolius Teatree m sp Swainsonia sp Was Eriostemon Philotheca myoporoides Long leaf Wax myoporiodes Flower November 2016. There were 27 different Prostanthera Mint Bush nivea species, of which 15 were not on Bill’s list Prostanthera from 2007 to Oct 2009. sp Senna Acacia calamifolia Wallowa Silver Cassia artemisiodes Actinotus helianthi Flannel Flower Thryptomene Formally H. Alyogyne huegelii sp huegelii Westringia sp Pilliga Anigozanthos flavidus Kangaroo Paw Baekea virgata dwarf Banksia nutans Nodding Banksia

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Calothamnus gracilis Fern-leaf Hop Dodonaea bonorifolia Bush, Hop Bush Eremophila “Summertime Blue” Eremophila Bignonia Emu bignoniiflora Bush, Creek Wilga Eremophila bignoniiflora x polyclada Eremophila laanii Eremophila longifolia Round-leaved Eucalyptus orbifolia Mallee Goodenia Sp. Formerly a grazing property, the stock was Graptophyllum Mount Blackwood removed and the Sheathers have ilicifolium Holly propagated, cultivated and planted Grevillea johnsoni Australian native plants for the 20 plus Hibbertia sp years they have owned the property. Jasminum Sweet Jasminum suavissimum Their approach is to plant densely – even Kunzea ericoides three plants in the one planting hole! This Chenille Honey- Melaleuca huegelii myrtle way, the plants provide protection for each Melaleuca other, weeds are inhibited and habitat is Prickly Paperbark stephyliodes created for birds and other wildlife. Myoporum floribundum Slender Myoporum Creeping Boobialla, Creeping Myoporum, Dwarf Myoporum parvifolium Native Myrtle or Small Leaved Myoporum Ozothamnus Sp Pandorea jasminoides Bower of Beauty Magnificent Prostanthera magnifica Prostanthera

Yallaroo By Beth Stokes Warren explaining his propagation methods

In September, Warren and Gloria The garden was in full bloom with much to Sheather kindly hosted us at their property tempt us, and we were generously offered Yallaroo, west of Armidale. Yallaroo is an cuttings and seeds. aboriginal word meaning ‘beautiful flowers’.

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Olearia viscidula

Hakea decurrens

New garden beds are constantly being established, here using tin as ‘organic herbicide’ to knock down weeds.

The pink form of Hakea decurrens

Acacias were at their most floriferous – here Acacia cultriformis

Prostanthera rotundifolia

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Prue’s Garden Beth’s photographic ramble through Prue’s garden:

Grevillea ‘Forest Rambler’

Prue in her garden

Grevillea ‘Canberra Gem’

Warren with a rare Kunzea sourced from Little Brother Mountain and yet to be named.

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Grevillea ‘Apricot Glow’

Eremophilas Xanthorrhoea australis….and a detail of the flowers:

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Pots and trays are scrubbed clean and sterilised with household disinfectant rather than bleach in order to minimise allergic reactions to volunteers.

Searle’s Native Plant Speciality Mix is Quirindi Community Nursery used for everything: seeds, cuttings and By Beth Stokes and Lee Esdaile potting on – they don’t have different The Quirindi Community Nursery supplies mixes for different uses, and they don’t native plants for gardens, farms, Landcare reuse any mix. And there is little use of projects, local council and mine fertilisers. revegetation. It is operated by a small band of enthusiastic volunteers led by Carol Smith and all profits are donated back to the community.

Carol warmly welcomed APS Tamworth members on a visit to the nursery in October and took them on an informative tour.

Heat beds are humidified by enclosing in reasonably priced plastic drop sheets.

Many trees and shrubs are propagated from seed collected in the local area and grown to tubestock size. Other plants are bought from native plant wholesalers to supplement the stock.

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Woodsreef scariosa – Porcupine Grass, here seen in By Beth Stokes close-up:

In late October, John and Jan Hosking lead an outing to Woodsreef to view its interesting serpentinite endemic flora.

Photo Matt Fletcher

An abandoned mine viewed through the stringybarks that are dominant in the area – Eucalyptus laevopinea

Photo Matt Fletcher Hovea cymbiformis, another serpentinite endemic.

Photo Matt Fletcher Boronia ruppii: an endangered Boronia only known from the serpentinite area around Woodsreef.

Dodonaea boroniifolia, a hopbush with Boronia-like foliage. Martin inspecting a stand of Triodia

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Photo Matt Fletcher A Dianella – this species is another serpentinite endemic.

The Bible for Australian Plants People.

The Tamworth APS library now has the latest Edition (published 2013) of this wonderful selection and helpful descriptions of our native plants.

Compared to the first edition begun in Lunch and a walk along Ironbark Creek. 1977 and my own well worked 3rd edition this current one is an improved, updated and more colourful modern version. Use it and you can fulfil the aims of the rest of its title " Cultivation, Use in Landscaping and Propagation..." of whatever plants you select as you browse through its enormous range of our plants. You may also become stronger as you manipulate the weight of its 720 pages.

The new edition's improvements can

easily be seen by comparing, for example, Book Review the Grevillea (Shrubs) section p 339 -369 (30p): with 44 colour photos embedded By Greg Carr plus line drawings - compared to my AUSTRALIAN NATIVE PLANTS edition's p 266-288 ( 22p) with no colour Cultivation, Use in Landscape and photos (except grouped elsewhere with Propagation other selected genera). Grevillea, and John W Wrigley & Murray Fagg other species described, benefit from SIXTH EDITION cultivars receiving more attention.

So why not risk the wrist exercise and take a browse in the area of your interest whether its Grevs, Eucs or whatever. You

Tamworth APS Summer 2016-7 Newsletter Page 10 of 13 will find it hard not to discover other plants Warren Sheather’s Plant Picks: you should have, or at least want to have. Acacia subulata TAKE THE PLUNGE AND USE OUR LIBRARY: you usually can't take home such reference material from other libraries.

We are always on the lookout for wattles Here is a favourite of mine, as described that flower out of the usual spring season. on p 564 - Eucalyptus shirleyi, Shirley's These “out of season wattles” give a Silver-leaved ironbark. A small spring feel to the garden at other times. Queensland tree to 10m with open habit One of our favourites is Acacia subulata. and large flowers mainly in spring. Sandy This tall shrub has an upright growth habit soils, full sun. and reaches a height of three metres. The phyllodes are long, narrow and light green. The POINT - don't always be limited by There is a gland at the base of the any text (with due respect to such great phyllode. The globular flower clusters are knowledge as W&F). If it’s your choice for yellow and carried for many months. In some reason or WHIM ...give your plant fact plants usually have a blooming rest in your own tender loving care and compare spring and let the other wattles take over. the results. Pictured is my Euc shirleyi Light pruning after flowering will improve growing in clay on a gravel mound, pruned foliage density, flowering and prolong the into a tall standard and flowering now in life of the plant. summer!

Acacia subulata is found in the Warialda district growing in the sandstone country. Consequently the species is happier in a well-drained situation.

A. subulata has an interesting history. Napoleon and Josephine had a garden, Malmaison, near Paris. The garden was

home to a wide range of plants and animals gathered from around the world including Australia. Included in the collection was a specimen of the wattle in question. Their gardener/botanist, Aimé Bonpland, named the species from this specimen in the garden in the early

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1800’s, prior to Napoleon’s downfall at cover reaching a height between 30-60 Waterloo in 1815. centimetres with a spread of 1-2 metres. The mid-green leaves are elliptical and Propagate from seed that needs to be arranged in two pairs of opposite rows. treated in boiling water before sowing. They are up to four centimetres long. The flowers are held in large orange-red Melaleuca hypericifolia: bottlebrush-like spikes that put in an A Dense Mounded Ground Cover appearance in spring and summer. Unlike the “conventional” form the flowers are well presented and extremely visible. M. ‘Ulladulla Beacon’ could be grown as living mulch in garden beds or cascading down an embankment. The dense foliage completely smothers weed growth. In our garden M. ‘Ulladulla Beacon’ has proved to be hardy, fast growing and free flowering.

Propagation must be from cuttings to preserve the cultivar’s desirable characteristics. Melaleuca hypericifolia is usually a tall shrub. Its red flower spikes are hidden in the foliage. There is a form that grows on exposed headlands on the South Coast of NSW. This form is known as ‘Ulladulla Beacon’ and is popular in cultivation. It develops into a dense, mounded ground

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Membership fees - increase planned for 1 January 2017 Whilst the APS NSW Board continues to undertake cost reduction initiatives, costs continue to increase. There has not been an increase in membership fees for two years. There was reasonable support for an increase in fees in our member survey earlier this year.

The Board has decided to increase membership fees for 2017 by approximately 5% from 1 January 2017.

The new rates that will apply are:

Individual Concession $48 Joint Concession $58 (higher rate of increase for this category) Individual Ordinary $56 Joint Ordinary $66

These changes will be communicated on the website, by email to members, and in the next edition of Native Plants for NSW. APS NSW standard membership form will also be updated to reflect the fee increases. It is understood that any increases can cause problems for some of our members; if this is a major issue for some, please contact [email protected]

TAMWORTH APS MEETING DATES FOR 2017 Meetings - 4th Saturday of every month except January and December at the Tamworth Regional Botanic Garden - and sometimes in a member's garden. At 9.30am.

Date Day Activity Time February 25 Sat Meeting 9.30am

March 25 Sat Meeting 9.30am

April 22 Sat Meeting 9.30am

May 27 Sat Meeting 9.30am

June 24 Sat Annual General Meeting 9.30am

Jul-22 Sat Meeting 9.30am

August 26 Sat Meeting 9.30am

Sep-23 Sat Meeting 9.30am

October 28 Sat Meeting 9.30am

Nov-25 Sat Meeting 9.30am

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