Cockspur thorn Most gardeners are happy to tolerate thorny plants for the sake of their flowers (e.g., roses and bougainvillea) or fruit (lemons). Wildlife lovers appreciate the benefits of growing the cockspur thorn (Maclura cochinchinensis) for its habitat benefits. Found growing naturally from Milton in south-eastern NSW to Cape York, […]
Paten’s Manuscripts
50 posts
‘Frog Hollows’ in the garden Frogs are an important part of the ecosystem and yet their numbers are dwindling. They are carnivorous animals, eating a large variety of insects, spiders, small reptiles and fish. Different species live in different habitats – in trees, among grasses and in rock crevices. Thus, […]
Queensland Kauri Pine A magnificent avenue of Queensland Kauri pine (Agathis robusta) planted along Grey Street, beside South Bank, displays this tree in all its glory. This is a member of an ancient Australian family with fossils dating back epochs to the Jurassic period. It has survived the rise and […]
Native blackthorn Plants are amazing organisms. They produce the oxygen needed by all of the animals on this planet. They are able to convert the simple molecule, carbon dioxide, into the complex glucose molecule using the energy of sunlight and then to produce all of the molecules needed by living […]
Tallowwood Tallowwood (Eucalyptus microcorys) is a fast growing, moderately tall evergreen tree that is found in tall open forests from Fraser Island in Queensland to Cooranbong in New South Wales and inland to Toowoomba. The trunk, which can become very thick, is straight and branchless for two thirds of its […]
Peanut tree If you are looking for a, small rainforest tree with unique features, the peanut tree (Sterculia quadrifida) could fit the bill. This tree is also known as the red-fruited kurrajong after its distinctive orange-red seed capsule which splits open when ripe in summer to reveal up to ten […]
The common silkpod One of the distinguishing features of a rainforest is the presence of long-stemmed woody vines, or lianes, that grow in the soil but climb around other plants. The more tropical the rainforest, the greater preponderance of these vines. Typical of the dry rainforest around Brisbane is the […]
Silky wattle When many other plants are not flowering, the silky wattle (Acacia holosericea) provides lovely colour in the garden over winter with its spikes of bright yellow flowers from June to August. The botanical name is derived from the Greek ‘holos’ (whole) and ‘sericos’ (silky) that describe the velvety […]
The knife-leaf wattle Wattles belong to the genus Acacia, of which there are 1350 species world-wide. An iconic part of the Australia bush, the nearly 1000 indigenous species make up the largest genus of vascular plants in this country. They are represented as trees, shrubs and ground covers and are […]
Kangaroo apple The kangaroo apple (Solanum aviculare) belongs to the same family as many economically significant food plants such as potato, tomato and egg plant (aubergine). It is one of 87 species endemic to Australia, growing wild in eastern areas of Queensland, NSW and Victoria as well as on Lord […]
Maiden’s wattle Maiden’s wattle (Acacia maidenii) is a fast growing, small tree (either slender or bushy) with fissured bark. As with many wattles, the leaves are replaced by expanded leaf stalks that are dark green and function as leaf blades. In Maiden’s wattle these phyllodes are long and narrow, slightly […]
Angular pigface Angular pigface (Carpobrotus glaucescens) is often overlooked as a garden plant due to its common name. Supposedly the flower resembles the face of a pig but it takes a great stretch of the imagination to come to that conclusion. When in flower during Spring, however, these plants provide […]