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Articles on Australian Plants

The following articles have been sourced from a range of publications published by ANPSA’s member societies and (occasionally) from other sources, with permission. Most were published in Australian Plants online, an online magazine published by the ANPSA between 1995 and 2009. Additional articles will be listed here from time to time.

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Articles from Australian Plants online

Several hundred articles were published in Australian Plants online, covering interesting and informative information on the cultivation, propagation, conservation and appreciation of the Australian flora. Articles spanned both amateur and professional interests and included research reports as well as experiences on growing Australian plants in gardens in different areas.

Prior to December 2004, Australian Plants online was published quarterly. 35 issues were published. From 2006 to 2009 the magazine was published irregularly. Australian Plants online was not published between October 2004 and May 2006.

The following is a complete list (with links) of all the articles published in Australian plants online. Although there is no comprehensive index to the articles, you can use your browser’s “Find’ dialog (Ctrl-F or F3 in most Windows browsers; Command-F on Mac) to search for specific topics. You’re sure to find something of interest!

Please Note: The articles generally remain as originally published. This means that some links in the articles may no longer work and some other information (such as scientific plant names) may be obsolete.

  • Growing Western Banksias in Containers; Growing in containers may be successful with some western species.
  • Insects and Flowers; Insects and plants have a complex relationship and they inter-react in a variety of ways.
  • Teatree Web Moth (Webbing Caterpillar); A nasty little pest that can disfigure small-leaved teatrees and other Myrtaceae.
  • The Garden in Winter; It’s cold. It’s miserable. But it’s not all doom and gloom in the garden.
  • The Joy of Weeding; We’re kidding, right?! Well, no. It gives us the chance to observe what’s happening around us.
  • Everlasting Daisies; Australian daisies for massed colour in the garden.
  • The Dunedin Botanic Garden and its Australian Section; Growing Australian plants further south than the bottom tip of Tasmania.
  • Australian Heaths; Epacris, Styphelia, Richea, Woolsia? Possibly unfamiliar to many but with lots to offer.
  • A Natural Pond in your Garden? The characteristics found in larger wetlands can be reflected in garden ponds.
  • Attractive Correas; Some hardy, bird attracting species to try in your garden.
  • The Rare and Remarkable Species of Australian Discaria; With only two Australian species, these prickly shrubs are rarely seen in cultivation.
  • Australian Native Succulents; You may be surprised to learn that Australia has at least 400 succulent species. 15 February 2009
  • Short Items
    • An Australian Style Garden
    • Getting to Know the Boab Tree
    • Propagating Difficult Seed
    • Sooty Mould on Correas and Other Native Plants
    • Acacias, Butterflies and Ants
    • One ‘Must Know’ Principle of Gardening
    • Garden Maintenance Tips – 3
    • Striking Beauties
    • A Mystery Tree Bears Fruit
    • Tripping Triggers
    • Garden Maintenance Tips – 2
    • On the Fringe
    • Grevilleas as Plant Allergens
    • Wild Orange – Capparis mitchellii
    • Garden Maintenance Tips; How to make your ferns and kangaroo paws look their best!
    • Mysteries of Nardoo
    • Growing Grass Trees – The Queensland Experience
    • Australian Cycads

  • The Tale of Two ‘Ps’ – Plants and Pollinators; Flowers, sex and insects! The games they play….
  • Acacia leprosa and ‘Scarlet Blaze’; The surprise discovery of a red flowered wattle by bushwalkers in 1995
  • Mistletoe – Part 2; Is mistletoe a noxious weed or a very important component of biodiversity?
  • Growing the Sydney Waratah; Many people have trouble growing this plant – these guidelines will help!
  • Mistletoe – Part 1; Much despised – but the mistletoe has a surprisingly long association with western culture.
  • Aussie Oddities; A few plants that might be hard to find but well worth the effort.
  • Plant Taxonomy – Part 2; The Linnaean system of naming and describing plants and animals is still in use today.
  • You don’t have to call Dryandra Banksia; Just because new taxonomy has been published, doesn’t mean you have to accept it.
  • Plant Taxonomy – Part 1; Why was Linnaean taxonomy “…too smutty for British ears”?
  • Designing for Plants in Small Spaces; With careful selection, native gardens can still be enjoyed when space is at a premium.
  • Burrendong’s Hakeas; One of the great success stories at Burrendong Arboretum is the Hakea collection.
  • The Use of Correas in Garden Design; Careful selection can produce a colourful display of these bird-attracting plants.
  • Wattle It Be? By Seed or Cuttings?; Tradition says that wattles can’t be easily grown from cuttings. Stupid tradition….
  • When Native Plants Go Feral; They may be native but does that mean we have to love them?
  • Caring for Established Native Plants in the Garden; Can you really plant it and forget it? It’s possible but…..
  • Cheery Acacias; Using the colourful ‘green and gold’ to brighten up a dull garden.
  • Roses with Other Names; The Rose family includes valuable food plants and serious weeds.
  • Grafting Grey-leafed Eremophilas in Melbourne; Success with grafting comes with persistence and practice.
  • Mulches Aren’t Just Mulches; The wrong mulch can actually harm plant growth. Select with care!
  • Mundulla Yellows – The Cause Remains Controversial; Nutrient imbalance, biological pathogen or herbicide – does the evidence stack up?
  • Growing Climbers; Where can you put a few climbers so they don’t wander too far?
  • Garden Design: Now and Then; Garden design should be much easier now than it was 40 years ago.
  • Short Items
    • Are Native Plants and Australian Gardens Increasing in Popularity?
    • Small Callistemons
    • Looking After Your Christmas Bells
    • King’s Holly – The World’s Oldest Living Tree?
    • Westringia ‘Wynyabbie Gem’
    • What is a Cultivar?
    • Pruning Australian Plants
    • Celia Rosser’s Banksias
    • The White Waratah
    • Alas poor Jasmin(oides), I knew her well …. or thought I did
    • The Patient Propagator
    • Creating a Small Garden Pond
    • From Pod to Pod – A Tale of Lomatia
    • Plants of the John Oxley Reserve
    • Dianella – A Planting Problem
    • Banks Generate Rising Interest
    • Plants That Bite!
    • Grevillea ‘Golden Lyre’
    • Watering and Grey Water Use
    • Graptophyllum ilicifolium
    • Blue Mountains Group Emblem – Lambertia formosa
    • Expatriate Plants
    • Wattles and Bushfires
    • A Blue-tongue in My Garden
    • Hibiscus geranioides
    • Colour in Summer
    • A Bird in the Bush…
    • Crinum peduncalutum – Swamp Lily
    • Three Rare Grevilleas
    • Cactoblastis Moth and Prickly Pear
    • Dendrobium Beetle
    • Can Possum Pruning be Good for Your Trees?
    • Wallum Banksia