ANPSA Correa Study Group ISSN 1039-6926 ABN 56 654 053 676 Leader: Cherree Densley Admin & Editor: Barb & David Pye 9 Koroit-Port Fairy Road 1220 Bacchus Marsh Road Killarney, Vic, 3283 Bullengarook, Vic, 3437 [email protected] [email protected] Ph 03 5568 7226 Ph 03 5428 9369 Membership fees: normal $10.00 electronic $6.00 Newsletter No.42 May 2010 LEADER’S COMMENTS Contents page Hello everyone, New members 2 Well, it is that time of the year when the senses Correa from Leigh River - correction 2 quicken with the flowering of our favourite plants. Leader’s comments (cont.) 2 In the garden here at Killarney: Correas Correas in the Grampians 4 planted out here last winter look good with no History of Correa Crawls 5 extra watering since planting and many are flowering. (I have only lost one- a very healthy Looking Ahead – Bob O’Neill 5 budding up Correa aemula turned up its toes Correa Collections 5 after the last hot spell-just couldn’t hang on I suppose.) What is it about our correas to make Maria’s Correa collection 6 them so resistant to our difficult weather Maria’s Nursery 6 conditions? Even small plants don’t turn a hair during the hottest driest times. Maybe it’s the Report on Granny’s Grave vegetation 6 structure of cells, the density of hairs on the Letters from members 7 surface, the ability of the root system to extract the tiniest amount of moisture or a Correas book by Maria Hitchcock 9 combination? (They seem to be as tough as How to handle Correa seedlings 10 eremophilas and grasses- melaleucas seem to be just as tough). The cuttings from last year Correa “Gwen” 11 are out of the top of the foam boxes and need a Request for Correa Green Giant 12 home now that the weather is milder and the soil is starting to get a bit damp from the rain. Correa Crawl accommodation details 12 The potted correas from the late Tim Boehm Correa Crawl Itinerary 13 have made even more growth and are looking very good with minimum care. I have not grown correas in pots before as they do so well for me NEW EMAIL ADDRESS in the ground. Early flowering plants are ‘Little The group now has its own email address Cate’ (ACRA 1127 - really lovely deep colour [email protected] , and this can be and full of flowers in early April), ‘Green Dream’, used in future for all CSG emails. ‘Coconut Ice’, ‘Western Pink Star’, ‘Prolific’, and ‘White Delight’ are all flowering well in early CORREA CRAWL April. (continued on page 2) All those likely to attend the June Holiday weekend Correa Crawl are asked to register with Cherree or David (contact details above). Although there is no registration cost, we need SUBSCRIPTIONS to know approximate numbers, and to keep Due for renewal 1 st July, except for new participants informed. It is recommended members who joined after 1 st January. that you book your accommodation as soon as possible. Details are on page 12. 1 NEW MEMBERS ponds does make life interesting. (!), but she is very beautiful. We welcome the following new members Correa Crawl : This will be terrific this year- Bev & Neil Duncan of Essendon, Vic please register with me your confirmation that Graeme & Jan Nicholls of Blackburn, Vic you will be coming - list your car registration APS Latrobe Valley, Vic and phone contact and accommodation so CORREA FROM LEIGH RIVER – that I can make out a list for everyone before CORRECTION we start. This will help with keeping the convoy together and be a source of help if Please accept my apologies for misnaming you get lost along the way. (This goes for the Correa described in the last issue as C. passengers as well). Plans for the Correa glabra, when it was actually C. reflexa. The Crawl are now well in hand and finer details error was mine, not Geoff’s. (David Pye) of times etc will be handed out to participants at the Geelong Botanical Gardens . Please see separate article in this Newsletter. (Bring a copy with you). Thanks to David who has kept everyone informed with suggestions of accommodation etc. If you want to have a good look around the rest of the gardens I suggest you arrive earlier - the rest of the gardens are superb. The Gondwanan border is particularly interesting. Remember that Correa Crawls are just to take photos, GPS locations, and to admire the correas. These days (just check Maria’s Cultivar List 09), I’m sure all correas that still exist in the wild have been collected at some stage and exist in someone’s garden or are available in nurseries. We must not be seen still as the ‘Society for Grabbing Plants: (SGAP). I know for sure that most of the ones we will see at Portland and Mt Clay are available in the trade - if we do find something new then that will be exciting. We LEADER’S COMMENTS shall be visiting two nurseries who have been (continued from page 1) working with local correas for many years However my favourite plant combination of all and have plants for sale. Maybe there are time is looking good at present - still some new ones though? (I want some Xanthorrhoea austalis and Correa reflexa var help to re-find a large glowing orange C reflexa I have managed to get this reflexa var reflexa from along a sandy track combination going in the garden just as it on Mt Clay that I want to call Gang Gang - it does in my local bushland. Sensational in is exactly the colour of the male bird’s crest. I texture, colour, form, and movement in the also don’t think that the butter yellow C garden. reflexa var reflexa from the Cashmore area has ever been found again (from the first Garden problems : On the down side though Correa Crawl back 18 years ago). For that there still seems to be some plants infested matter the sensational ‘Henry’s Burgundy’ with the correa flea beetle (?) and I am driven has never been seen again - I’ll show you silly with an unbelievable invasion of soldier where these WERE. Maria’s comments that beetles (harlequin bugs) which make life many of the correas that were painted by miserable for many plants- they have their Kath Alcock do not seem to be in the trade favourites- they leave the correas alone either. Possibly because much of the however. Devastating for tomatoes, rhubarb bushland and roadsides have been cleared? and many succulents. One large totally On one of the walks that we will do I once golden snake usually seen hunting near the saw a huge glowing red flower with five 2 petals. I didn’t take cuttings (it was a warm with many attending to pay tribute to the dry day). authors and their very supportive wives and families. No other country in the world has Cutting swap night : Bring cuttings for the such a monumental study of their own swap night (on Saturday), slides or a Power flora . Now Maria has taken up the challenge Point presentation, and plants for sale if you of sorting out the Correas, and with the have some. I’ll try and organize a slide Correa Book’s release announced by projector, a digital projector and a laptop. Rosenberg Publishers will soon add much We’ll have two nights together so plenty of more information to our knowledge of time to learn as much as possible and correas. Details of how to order the book are exchange ideas. Bring your own ziplock in this Newsletter. bags - the one with the strip for labeling is good plus your own pen/pencil. Bags of Correas in Public Places : In the last cuttings should be labeled clearly and Newsletter I asked for information about accurately as well. Bring correas for naming correas growing in Public places - thank you as well if you have some and don’t know to Brendon Stahl who mentions that there what they are. (Press a piece if you can’t get are a lot of correas planted around the Colac it there fresh - pieces in an empty water bottle Visitor Information Centre (check it out keep well- with the lid on of course). next time you pass through Colac). Our Newsletters edited and produced by Visit To Cradle Mt : (Last week of April). David and Barb are full of information- I hope Just took a quick week off to go and have a everyone who has been asking about raising look/see at the autumn colour of the correas from seeds ‘devoured’ the excellent Northofagus gunnii – (this has been on my article by Peter Ollerenshaw ‘Breeding and wish list for a long time). Took in the correas Selecting Correas” in the last Newsletter (no and other plants at the Tasmanian Arboretum 41) - I am eagerly awaiting the new cultivars at Devonport too. Thanks to Lynne to be available in the nurseries as the photos Mockeridge who acted as my guide and and descriptions look fantastic. I have been companion and to the wonderful Dick Burns re-reading all the Correa Newsletters since who hosted four days at the Chalet at No 1 - what a wealth of information there is, Waldheim. It was just superb to do daily lots of exciting ‘Correa Crawls’ and lots of walks with him and other Tassie friends. mysteries about different plants which Maria has been able to sort out over the years.