Plant Palette

By Clive Larkman

Bush tucker, Aussie food, native food, are some of the names used for herbs, fruit and other native edibles. It covers a broad range of edible plants that are native to Australia. The majority have some connection to Indigenous Australians as medicinal, herbal or food sources.… Continue reading

By Clive Larkman

The plant world is a large and fascinating part of the world’s biosphere. As horticulturists we engage in growing and using plants in business and daily life. The range is huge, from single cell organisms like algae to huge trees like the Californian Redwood.… Continue reading

By Daniel Fuller

If what some people say about eucalypts were true, they’d be sentient monsters intent on destroying human civilisation itself. Apparently, they are widow makers, their roots damage property, they poison the soil, they cause fires, and the list of offences goes on.… Continue reading

Label Name: Grevillea ‘Wendy Sunshine’ 

ACRA 1265 (registered Nov 2010)

Family: Proteaceae

Origin: An open-pollinated hybrid between Grevillea bipinnatifida (Chittering Valley) x Grevillea thyrsoides ssp. pustulata. Applicant Name: Neil R Marriott

Characteristics: A grey/green, low-growing, dense shrub 0.3-0.5m (h) x 1-1.5m (w).… Continue reading

By Clive Larkman

The word guava elicits thoughts of the tropics but as a common name it covers a wide range of fruiting trees. One of these is Pineapple Guava which is also known as Brazilian Guava and Guavasteen although it is not a true guava.… Continue reading

By Daniel Fuller

As part of my podcast series celebrating National Eucalypt Day, I had the good fortune to interview Professor Ros Gleadow who is a professor at Monash University, President for the Global Plant Society, and a board member of Eucalypt Australia, about the chemistry of eucalypts and it was an enlightening experience.… Continue reading

By Daniel Fuller

Eucalypts have dominated the Australian landscape for millions of years, and so it is with good reason that on the 23^rd of March we celebrated National Eucalypt Day in Australia. To further celebrate this iconic tree, I interviewed four guests representing Eucalypt Australia on my podcast, with a separate episode covering a different topic each week throughout March.… Continue reading

By Clive Larkman

Most of my articles have focused on different varieties of edible and household herbs, and occasionally on industry events or happenings. However, I haven’t touched on the actual botany of the plants I’ve written about, when in fact this is an area of great interest to me, particularly how plants evolved and why they grow where they do.… Continue reading

By Patrick Regnault

Buxus evokes images of clipped Renaissance garden hedges, the formality of inner-city courtyards, or perhaps even topiary. This humble plant has a long and distinguished history, as an ornamental plant and its utilisation in wood turning and carving, and traditionally, as a medicinal plant.… Continue reading

By Clive Larkman

Last month we looked at the foundations of the native food industry. The potential is huge but the reality has seen decades of stops and starts. There is a groundswell of desire for us to have an Australian native food sector.… Continue reading