Do you have any links about this? I am always wary of getting riled up over something I only know through word of mouth :)

Unfortunely I dont have a web link
and it is very understandable about that.
I got the information from a lovely group of waratah farmers (yeah I know v. bias group)in the blue mountains
I'll google and if I find anything I will post it up asap

Your title is very misleading...for a moment I thought "oh fantastic, more b****y Aussie pests to deal with!"

While you are writting your letter of complaint, I suggest you add Germany, Israel, USA and South Africa and South America to your list as these countries are also "claiming natives as their own". Here are are a few interesting statistics to add to your unfounded complaints:

- Israel grows and exports 14 miliion Kangaroo Paws annually compared to Australias 4.5 million.

- More Emus are farmed in USA than in Australia.

- Australia provides less than 2% of the worlds industrial supply of Eucalyptus oil.

Should I list more? I found these statistics and many more, listed in article after article brought up by a quick google search.

I view your post as scare mongering and I suggest you research such future claims carefully before posting as you did. If you had, you would have found that it is not the waratah species as a whole, more like 1 or 2 varieties, and, it's not been claimed as a native. It's what you do when you produce a new variety, you give it a name and put a patent on it.

Get with it, but if you're this upset and willing to waste time over 1 or 2 varieties being patented, I guess the whole world had better get ready for a huge backlash over lost profits from countries growing and improving foreign plants. The tomato, apple, rose, hmmm, oh yeah, Rododendron, camellia, citrus...they are just a few of many common plants that have been "taken" from their native countries.

I'd be interested in seeing what response you get from your government.

greenfingers, can you elaborate on the names of these varieties?

I dont think the suggestion made by wazcrazy has anything to do with growing aussie natives commercially overseas as you seem to think, but more to do with calling it the "new zealand rose", the name itself implies it's a new zealand native, which is quite misleading.

This argument cuts the other way too. We have 'Australianised' many exotic species and their cultivars here too. This has happened to many orchids, Hibiscus, Cordylines (tropical fruiticosa varieties) etc, etc.

It is just something you have to live with. For example; If I bred an outstanding Waratah here (not that I could as they don't grow here), there is nothing stopping me from giving it the common name 'Queensland Rose'. It would still however be a Waratah and it would still be in the genus Telopea (or whatever it is these days)

Just some thoughts.

Andrew.

see also "Kiwi fruit".

What is upsetting is the mis representation of plants,people,products what ever!
I am not codoning kiwi bashing Hell I hate that the fact that in australia every good nz artist is called aussie (split enz,Finn brothers(you guys rock))Also how proteas are called oz native when really they are south african

I Have read "going native" and how emus and eucalptus oil and so on are grown commercially o.s but they are not marketed as if those products are a native resource

Now I am v. new to posting on these pages only starting a few months ago so I am not up with the ettitque required
to make these statements but I do now know that a bit more research is required before I shoot from the hip
I googled for what seems an enternity and you know what I found more of something about PBR and australian wrong doing especially with waratahs
I didnt find any links or really juicy sorts of anything which is probably a good thing as I hope that I was being a bit hasty but I have know got a through knowledge of PBRs
Nz were also named as a predator on PBRs(plant breeders rights)but so was the rest of the world
maybe I should have done it earlier but hey you do learn from your mistakes
"to err is human to forgive is divinity"

no response from government

OK, warcrazy and greenfingers - how abt a truce ?

Its just too easy to get all jingoistic about these issues, but warcrazy's 'boots-and-all' approach doesnt help. Waz, I strongly suggest that you spend a little more time considering the title of your post in future : most of us share your passion, but its too easy to inflame national pride when you make sweeping statements.

As for the S.A. Proteas being tagged 'natives', that is just one of the gems from a nursery industry intent on putting *profits* before people. Lets face it - knowledge is power. I'm sure we've all had 'differences of opinion' from retailers who try to fob off exotics as natives (Syzygium Jambos, Murraya Paniculata from SE Asia etc). In terms of my own garden, I dont get too carried away with native vs exotic, but I am confident that I havent been sold too many imposters.

I can DIG that

I am bit like a bull at a gat are'nt I:)