Have you checked out the many exchanges forums here? Dave

Thanks for all of the info, but it isn't burdock. The leaves are almost completely round, like a plate. Stems hollow, about the size of a cane pole. Grew in shady forest with no blooms.

I agree with tranegemini. Compost is great, as is the occassional application of Seasol on the leaves and for the roots. We been using that combination for our grevillias and golden penda and they seem to be loving it (and growing much quicker than we expected). While Seasol isn't homemade, we've often made our own home-made seaweed fertilizer which has done just as well. You're not legally allowed to remove seaweed from most beaches, however we've taken some overgrowing pond plants and algae and diluted them (once they've broken down) in some water and applied that just like we would with Seasol and it seems to have worked pretty well. But personally, I think you can't go wrong with compost for almost any plant. Cheers, Lauren :)

Follow the link below to download a free program for selecting native plants developed by a guy in SA. The website is in frames so I couldn't link to the exact page but look for the link to the Native Plant Selector. http://users.tpg.com.au/hjharvey/ A quick description: APSquery uses a database created and maintained by the Australian Plants Society (S.A. Region, Inc), which contains descriptions of approximately 6000 native plants. Most are proper species, but the list also includes a number of common hybrids and cultivars. Here is a link that might be useful: Native Plant Selector