![Old man saltbush (Atriplex nummularia) near Hay, New South Wales (Image: Thomas Mesaglio [thebeachcomber] via iNaturalist, CC BY-SA 4.0)](https://hortjournal.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1.-Atriplex_nummularia_Thomas_Mesaglio_iNat_CC-BY-SA-4.0-800x445.jpg)
Old man saltbush (Atriplex nummularia) near Hay, New South Wales (Image: Thomas Mesaglio [thebeachcomber] via iNaturalist, CC BY-SA 4.0)
By Clive Larkman
In my last article, ‘Saltbushes of the world’, I wrote about halophytes including mangroves, samphires and saltbush (Hort Journal Australia, February 2026). Like mangroves and samphires, saltbush occurs around the globe in a diverse range of climatic conditions.… Continue reading
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The autumn senescence gives a wave of colour to the texture of the ginkgo fan-like leaves (Image: Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery)
By Caleb Roberts
Botanical name: Ginkgo biloba
Common names: Ginkgo, maidenhair tree
Family: Ginkgoaceae
Origin or native range: Ginkgo biloba is the sole surviving species within its entire division, class, order and family. This monotypic ‘living fossil’, so called because fossils nearly identical to the modern tree date back to the Jurassic period (around 170 million years ago), is now found virtually unchanged from its earlier iterations in small, woodland populations in temperate China.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Caleb Roberts
Botanical name: Malpighia emarginata ‘Florida Sweet’
Common name(s): Acerola, Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry, wild crepe myrtle, Antilles cherry
Family: Malpighiaceae
Origin or native range: Hailing from Central America and Mexico, the highest production of Malpighia emarginata (Syn.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy 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
Read MoreBy 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
Read MoreBy 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
Read MoreBy Daniel Fuller
Understanding industry trends can inform nursery purchasing decisions. Ozbreed’s data for the 2024-25 reflects plants that have been selling extremely well, and we foresee that sales are likely to stay strong in the coming financial year. Here are our strongest Australian small shrub and groundcover sellers by quantity of units starting with the most popular.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy 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
Read MoreBy 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
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The leaves rarely show all green or all cream which separates it from most of the other variegated aroids (Image: Clive Larkman)
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
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