Isopogons & Petrophiles
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ISOPOGONS & PETROPHILES The Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants Isopogon & Petrophile Study Group Newsletter ISSN 1445-9493 Number 5 February 2004 Petrophile fastigiata. Near Esperance, WA, October 2003. (See page 10 for more details about this species) CONTENTS 2 EDITORIAL 3 MEMBERS LETTERS & EMAILS 8 A VISIT TO THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, CRANBOURNE. 10 PETROPHILE FASTIGIATA 11 GLOSSARY, GERMINATION TRIAL OF PETROPHILE DRUMMONDII 12 SEED BANK, REFERENCES E DITORIAL range of speakers. I learnt heaps about the island state, and its flora. We always knew that it was Welcome to the fifth edition of Isopogons and different over there and I found out why! Tasmania Petrophiles. It is about three months late and my is actually part of Antarctica, rather than Aus, which only excuse is that I seem to always be running out helps to explain the unique geology and numerous of time. Has anyone got a solution to this problem?! endemic flora species. Of course, I also had a chance to catch up with and meet heaps of people Well, spring has passed and summer is almost over. including members of the study group and this In October-November, for the first time, Isopogon fellowship is the main reason people keep going latifolius flowered in my garden, with 13 fantastic again and again to the conferences. The Isopogon large pink inflorescences. What a sight! I also had and Petrophile study group, along with a number of excellent displays from Isopogon formosus, mnoraifolius others, had a display. I took along a computer and had a repeating slide show of some of the best examples from the genera, as well as some laminated enlargements and general info on Isopogons and Petrophiles. There was a lot of interest and a few new members have joined. (Welcome to you all.) Congratulations and thanks go to the organising committee for making it a great event. The next conference is in Perth in October 2005, so start planning now. The pre and post conference tours will be heading right into coneflower heaven, and so I hope to see a number of you there! Isopogon mnoraifolius, Sept 2003 and trilobus, as well as my dwarf Isopogon anemonifolius. As leader of the group I have been asked by a Petrophiles biloba, longifolia and cyanthiforma were also number of the Victorian APS groups to talk about excellent, and I had a single inflorescence on the genera and have thoroughly enjoyed doing so. I I. sphaerocephalus. have even been able to go to the regional centres of Unfortunately the long dry has lead to the deaths of Warrnambool and Shepparton, which was excellent. a number of my favourites including Isopogon dubius, I have been given an invite to talk in Newcastle and the above-mentioned I. mnoraifolius and Petrophile am hoping to be able to fit that in later in the year. teretifolius. We have had the hottest December on Thanks to the members who have donated photos record, followed thankfully by a mild January and and slides, as I use a number of them in these talks. February. Even so, it is bone dry even a centimetre It surprises me that many APS/SGAP members or so beneath the surface and apart from a have really not heard of these plants and so I am spectacular storm or two there has been no glad to be able to promote them to more native meaningful rain for some time. enthusiasts. I know that those of you further up the east coast have had some good rain recently and I’d like to This issue contains heaps of info from the members request you send some of it down here please. It’s of the group. Thanks to all those who have written. only fair and reasonable to share! Please keep it up. Let us all know how you are going I have my fingers crossed for autumn rains and with Isopogons and Petrophiles, any propagation or have lots of small plants and seedlings ready to go study results, or any tips and hints. I have described in. my visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Cranbourne, near Melbourne, where there is an In January my family and I visited Tasmania for the extensive collection of Proteaceae. The featured ASGAP biennial conference in Launceston. This is species is Petrophile fastigiata, a plant well worth my second ASGAP conference and I would growing, and I report on the study group’s first thoroughly recommend them to everyone. The scientific study. I hope you enjoy it. Tassie conference was particularly well organised David Lightfoot ☺ with superb scenery on tap for outings, amazing gardens to visit and a most impressive, interesting Isopogons and Petrophiles Number 5. Page 2 Members’ letters and emails From Barbara Buchanan. Myrrhee, Vic. the new growth is deep red and an extremely attractive feature Jan 2003 of the plant. Below is a picture of Petrophile fastigiata with red new growth. Ed My list of I and P’s has been somewhat shortened. The I speciosus [? I. formosus Ed], a young plant was chewed back to wood, presumably rabbit, maybe wombat and we have now acquired deer to help destroy the garden. I had hoped it might resprout but no such luck. I had thought it safe to remove the guard because a big old I. [formosus] or I. dubius is never touched. My remaining P. biloba also died, diseased where the bark had been split by snow some years earlier. Fortunately I have been able to replace it with a plant that was discounted- overgrown in its pot which seems to be doing very well. The same batch of plants included P. serruriae (pink form), and a Hakea and they all seem to have settled in well. I know there were other losses but can’t remember what right now. I don’t think that I included P. sessilis in the list I From John Nevin, Armidale NSW sent you when last seen still a slight, straggly foot or so high, now in its second drought summer without August 2003 additional water. Not a very exciting garden subject I did have Isopogon mnoraifolius for many years but it to date but it lives. died this winter after 10 years- hardy to frost and It’s not just the drought hitting the garden but the drought and flowered well. heat. A cool change means low 30’s instead of high I have many other species in pots that I hope to put 30s to 40. My garden water source has dried up, so I in when spring arrives and the frosts are clear so as turn to my patchwork to shut off till better times to give them a chance to establish before next return. winter. I bought these from Phillip Vaughan. This was written a year ago now and I’m hoping that things Phillip has a nursery near Geelong and stocks a wide range are looking up for those in the country. There has certainly of interesting natives, including many WA species and grafted been more rain this last twelve months but not enough to be plants. His number is 03 5250 5592. Ed drought breaking. Let us know how things are going Barbara. Ed. From Margaret Pieroni, Attadale, WA From Joke Meyer, Tamworth NSW June 2003 August 2003 The Isopogons that I hoped would flower in the pots and one or two that I planted out at the back My Isopogons have not done well. I had an Isopogon of the house all with buds when I bought them, formosus; it stood about 60cm tall, and had 20+ buds. failed to flower. I moved those in pots into a more It looked healthy and promising. Then it was open spot to get more sun but it must have been pruned by hungry Kangaroos during the big dry and too late. It seems that I. formosus and its forms and 4 buds remained. Although I gave it TLC it went I. dubius need full sun to flower. I have these in pots downhill from then on. to take down to Denmark. [Margaret is moving down I recently (about 6 months ago) bought an Isopogon South] I will plant them in my planned rockery on a anethifolius. It is showing bronze coloured tips. Is this north-facing slope. normal colour or if not, is there something I can Back in April I sowed some P. filifolia seeds in do? The plant is about 0.5m high, is getting early exactly the same way as I had done so successfully morning and early afternoon sun. with P. helicophylla. Germination-ZERO! I wonder The bronze coloured tips are normal for new growth. This is whether the seed has to be years old as well as common in both Isopogons and Petrophiles. In some species needing smoke? I haven’t tried it without burning Isopogons and Petrophiles Number 5. Page 3 the leaves on top. Do you think if I leave the tray June 2003 the seeds might germinate next year? We’ve had so I noticed that a number of Petrophiles have been much rain lately that they may well have rotted. [I grafted. Obviously they are more touchy and need have a feeling that years old seed doesn’t do very well with excellent drainage. I wonder if some of those would Petrophiles- just a gut feeling not based on any science. I agree be okay in deep sand in our climate. I will certainly they may have rotted- see my germination of P. drummondii be searching for additional species.