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Australian Native Plants

Recommend Australasian Native Plant Books

18 years ago

My wife and I are visiting eastern Australia (Victoria, NSW, Queensland & Northern Territory) and New Zealand, from this November until Feb next year.

We are both horticuturists and very interested in the native flora we come across on our travels.

Can anyone recommend good native plant books for these areas, please?

With thanks

David Toyne

Wales - UK

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Comments (9)

roysta
18 years ago
Australian Native Plants, John W. Wrigley & Murray Fagg, Publishers: Reed New Holland.
This is an almost 700 page hardcover book, but is exceptionally good.
Good luck in your travels.

Roy
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justcorreas
18 years ago
I must also agree with Roy on the book he recommends as it's a great reference to Australian Plants.

Australian Native Plants Fifth Edition :Cultivation, Use in Landscaping and Propagation (5th Edition) by John W Wrigley; Murray Fagg
I'd suggest you make contact with the regional group leader or members of the ASGAP on your way down the east coast. Local knowledge is also as good as what you'll find in a book.
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When you are looking for books keep in the back of your mind that often times books will make you think the plants/shrubs and trees are native when they are not. Often times they are listed for hardiness zones. For instance, one of the books I have is called "Trees and shrubs of Central Ontario". This book contains every tree and shrub that "will grow" in central Ontario, not trees and shrubs "native" to Central Ontario. If you do some homework and find out what is native to your region and local area it will help you immensely to figure out what is "native" rather than what grows well in your area. Have fun. My husband and I are restoring our woodlot backyard and enjoying looking for plants, shrubs, ferns, trees and mosses that are native to our specific city. Barb
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trish_g
18 years ago
Yep, Wrigley an Fagg is "the bible". Have fun!
Toowoomba SGAP would love to see you, if you're up this way. Tel 40308505
Trish
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footfullabindiis
18 years ago
The bible for the NT is Native Plants of Northern Australia by John Bock. It has very good photographs and descriptions, and even covers traditional Indigenous plant uses. It is one book I would definately recommend, and the Wrigley and Fagg book is another excellent one that covers plants from the whole country.
Enjoy your travels and good to see that you have included the NT in your travels - most travellers bypass the Top End for the east coast. I might be biased but you will be in the best part of the country when you come here....
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valvicoz
18 years ago
I agree re: Wrigley and Fagg
Also Try Costermanis (I know - a greek name, but there are lots of Greeks in Australia) Native Trees and Shrubs of SE Australia.
These two i want to hang on to, but i have lots of books on Aust natives to trade. Cant trade plants because of quarantine, but open to suggestions.
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trish_g
18 years ago
Sorry, wrong number for Toowoomba SGAP - 46308505
Trish
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john_in_thailand
18 years ago
G'day footfullabindiis.

Could you dig up an ISBN# for 'Native Plants of Northern Australia' by John Bock ?

I've drawn a blank on this title in the search engines.
TIA
johnno
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TonyfromOz
18 years ago
Author is John Brock, not Bock. Yes, it's a first-class book but first published privately in 1988 as 'Top End Native Plants' and its scope is only Northern Territory. Many of the species extend east to Queensland and west to WA, but many do not.
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footfullabindiis
18 years ago
John, ISBN 1876334673 for this book, and thanks Tony it was written by John Brock, published by Reed New Harper.
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