Plant Palette

By Daniel Fuller

Ozbreed has analysed sales data on all grasses and other strappy monocot sales from the last financial year to shortlist the best-selling varieties based on number of units sold. This information can help wholesale and production nurseries add heavy-hitters to their stock lists.… Continue reading

By Caleb Roberts

Botanical name: Phyllanthus embilica

Common name(s): Amla, Indian gooseberry

Family: Phyllanthaceae

Origin or native range: There is a saying about some medicines, that a strong taste means they must be doing something right! That certainly rings true for amla, otherwise known as the Indian gooseberry.… Continue reading

By Clive Larkman

The genus Salvia is one of the largest plant genera with over 1,000 species. It is a member of the Lamiaceae, the mint family, which includes most of our aromatic and many of our medicinal herbs. Salvia is the largest genus in the Lamiaceae and consists of annuals, perennials and evergreen shrubs that grow in full desert sun to moist woodland environments.… Continue reading

By Caleb Roberts

Botanical name: Theobroma cacao

Common name: Cacao tree or cocoa tree

Family: Malvaceae

Origin: With a long history in the Amazon basin, cacao was traded as a currency well before chocolate coins hit supermarket shelves.… Continue reading

By Daniel Fuller

Mass planting beds are favourable from a nursery and plant breeder perspective because less diversity will often equate to larger profit margins, even though they can be risky by having “all your eggs in one basket.” They are also easy for specifiers to use in designs, because it takes less research to source a single variety of plant that tolerates site conditions and can be replicated throughout large beds.… Continue reading

By Clive Larkman

Monstera ‘Thai Constellation’ took the world by storm in the mid to post COVID years. At the time, indoor plants were undergoing a resurgence that started just pre-COVID and then went ballistic as we were all shut down.… Continue reading

By John Fitzsimmons

We all know plants are wonderful, sustaining life and wellbeing in so many ways, but we can sometimes benefit from a reminder of just what amazing ‘machines’ they are too –  amazing hydraulic and chemical machines!

It’s amazing how ‘vascular’ plants can turn sunlight into chemical energy, and sometimes startling how (tree) roots and stems can physically disrupt hard paving and even affect otherwise solid buildings.… Continue reading

By Clive Larkman

When we consider herbs and their flavour profile, the range of flavours is amazingly large and varied. We can have a group of plants that is very different botanically but have basically the same flavour. Classics are lemons and the lemon flavour, and coriander and its distinctive flavour.… Continue reading