Hi Artview

I agree with you, there is a lot of misinformation about plants. I enjoyed reading your email.

Maybe we should all do research into the plants we buy.

P

Yes.
I get a bit overheated in this town about the universal practice of using *lillypillies* as a generic term and thereby ascribing the bad habits of weedy Syzygium cumini (Java plum) to the lot. As in they are all invasive, they all have surface roots as thick as my arm, they all have purple staining fruit. Maybe I'll learn to reliably be able to spell syzygium and go, *No, that's not a lillypilly, that's a syzygium.* That should bring on an excellent blankness.

And another thing.
I was startled to see a cultivar of an Australian vine described as exotic. I think they were describing the flower as opulent. Been meaning to email the company about using the word in that sense.
Rose

yeah,
just the other day I was at Bunnings's in Cairns and they had Syzygium jambos as a native. The company that sold it are called "Fair Dinkim Natives", bloody Fair Dinkim nothing" I say.
I havent found the contact for these people but gee, what aload of codswallop.
See Ardisia crenulata and humilis sold as natives.
Maybe people are just accepting weeds as natives!
-I wish to presume that they just dont know.
Kris

what about the leucodendrons and other african plants ALWAYS included in native sections of nurseries!!!!!!!!!! AAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Australian Plants members from Tamworth are always complaining that Proteas are allowed in the Australian Plants section at the local show! We complain, but are told that the final decision rests with the judge, who always lets them in. The ignorance of some disappoints us.

While I support the general argument herein, we should be careful in that many exotics have local representatives too eg Crepe Myrtle, Olives, etc.

Perhaps we could all contribute by bringing such mistakes to the attention of nurseries.

regards

Dennis Mc

OK, Dennis, you have nailed me - I had absolutely no idea that there was a *native* crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia archeriana) - I cant bring myself to tear out my Lagerstroemia Indica) - aaargghhh .....

Found this page on Google, and it also lists the native Murraya which I had tried to track down previously:

Native Alternatives

Here is a link that might be useful: Native Alternatives

I agree about Natives not being so Bunnings are a problem My local has no qualified staff on weekends .The reason I was told was that they cost too much!!!!!!

I've been to native specialist nurserys that are otherwise brilliant (unusual local plants, tricky to propagate plants etc) and they still have a fetuca glauca and a couple of NZ lilies lurking in the background...

Artie

I think I had a pseudo-native attack on the weekend. We bought some pig face (and I know there is a native variety, but alas, having bought it and now done a google, I have discovered I bought the south american type...). I also bought phyla nudiflora. I was told by the garden assistant that phyla was definately a native of WA.

Having done a google (I don't always trust the garden assistants from the hardware shop) - I discovered that (a) origins of phyla are in doubt and it could be introduced and (b) more importantly, phyla (diff varieties, but p. nudiflora was also listed) is considered to be an awful weed in most parts of Aus.

What to do? Should I rip the blasted thing out? I planted 12 plants .... Hubby is inclined to leave it and see if it lives up to its weed potential.

Aggie

There has to be an irony somewhere in that it's apparently easier to sell something if you flog it as a "waterwise and therefore native" (try planting a rainforest plant in your Bourke backyard and see how waterwise it is!), but native foods are still nowhere near anyone's menu ... :)

I guess it's at least a start that people are starting to look for natives, rather than exotics-that-do-well-in-Australia's-unique-climate. It does give one some hope that we're finally learning ... even if some of the finer details are getting lost in the translation :)

As much I enjoy exotics, at the moment I more inclined to have natives in my garden. One of the main places I shop for plants is Bunnings because 1. they are close by and 2. The plants are out in the weather. (Hate seeing plants sold in air conditioned comfort, knowing that they are going to cark it from the shock of being planted in the garden).

The last time (before my visit today) I was at Bunnings I saw a gorgeous plant in the native section, pulled it out and read the label. Which said "native of South Africa". I always read the labels and wish it was a labelling condition of all plants to state where they are native to. They also have the Proteas in the native section.

it was bad enough when old US movies used to portray Australian characters with very close to a South African accent. At least now with so many Aussies in Hollywood, the accents sound right - most of the time.

The miss-naming of exotic plants as natives is not always the fault of the nurseries, though most nursery people have almost zero botanical knowledge and this does not help.

There are actually two native species of Myrraya. Murraya ovatifoliolata occurs in dry or coastal rainforest from south Queensland to Cape York and to the Kimberley in WA. There is another one, a large and showy plant, that occurs on Cape York Peninsula and botanists insist on calling it Murraya paniculata though it does not look much like the exotic version. This is where mistakes come about. Someone will look up a herbarium list and it says Murraya paniculata occurs in Australia therefore the ones we are selling must be a native.

Another one is Syzygium malaccense. The Australian one looks very little like the Asian one and the fruit are completely different.

Even the common Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina) occurs in Australia, but all the ones sold in nurseries are from Asia.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rainforest Magic

Thanks Maniltoa - very informative post.

When I posted this, it was with all the indignation of one who had 'discovered' native plants, and decided that others weren't being true to the 'creed', particularly those with a vested interest in selling plants. After my 'Fanaticism and Native Plants' thread, however, I have realised that perhaps I'm not so pure-of-heart myself : there are natives in my garden which simply shouldnt be there. The native Lasiandra I spoke of in my 'Melastoma Affine' thread is one, and my Alpinia another. If I were a stronger person, I'd take it all out and start again using local natives, but I suspect thats not going to happen. When push comes to shove, for better or worse, anything that thrives on my (previously bare)patch of ground has earnt itself a place in the sun.

Cheers,

Artie

Hi All,

I studied horticulture for four years, and continue to learn everyday. I work in a 'real' Nursery, (Bunnings etc are not Nurseries - but they are killing the industry I choose to work in). Please support your local nurseries. I'm not saying they won't make mistakes, but their interests lay more in keeping you as a loyal customer, so will generally try harder to give correct information, not only about plants, but their culture & how to plant & maintain them.

Hope you all have a gloriously sunny day out with Nature.

Gotta agree with you there Sally, but where do you go when there's no nursery within 50k's of where you live? That's the situation where I live near Tweed Heads, so unless I want an hour's drive to the best 'Natives' nursery here abouts (up near Cornubia in QLD), it has to be Bunnings.