Plants Some tips on what to look out for this spring

PLANTS IN THE GARDENS

DISCOVER MORE ABOUT THE WONDERFUL PLANTS TO LOOK OUT FOR NEXT TIME YOU VISIT THE GARDENS.

Tree Gardenia

TREE GARDENIA Gardenia thunbergia Family Rubiaceae Although there are around 60 species in the genus Gardenia, most of us are only familiar with the shrubby Gardenia augusta and Gardenia florida beloved by florists and home gardeners alike.

This large and varied genus of shrubs and small trees is native to areas of South Africa, Southeast Asia and northern Australia. This particular species, known as Tree Gardenia or Star Gardenia, is native to South Africa, where it is found in humid forest regions with high rainfall.

It was originally given its name to honour a Scottish doctor, Alexander Garden, a correspondent of Linnaeus. The species name, thunbergia, is named for Peter Thunberg, a student of Linnaeus, who travelled as a doctor with the Dutch East India Company to Japan and later to South Africa. Following that period, he taught botany at Uppsala University in Sweden.

This lovely plant is classified as a tall shrub or small tree, generally growing about 2.5–3 metres tall, with a somewhat spreading habit. It has evergreen foliage that is dark glossy green above, but somewhat paler beneath. Branches are fairly horizontal, spreading to around 2.5–3 metres wide at maturity.

The sweetly-perfumed flowers normally appear from late spring into summer, sometimes lasting into late January. They are about 6–8 centimetres wide and pure milky-white, with a velvety texture. They are flattish in shape atop a slender tube. In earlier times, the flowers were popular as a buttonhole. Sometimes they were also used to scent tea.

It is said that fruits, rarely seen in cultivation, were known to have been used in Chinese herbal medicine as treatments for influenza and colds.

Tree Gardenia was first introduced into Australia in the mid-19th century,

‘The sweetly-perfumed flowers were sometimes used to scent tea’

being listed in the 1843 Catalogue of Camden Park Nursery and indeed, Shepherds Darling Nursery soon after that in 1851. The original plant in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is featured in Director Charles Moore’s catalogue for 1857.

Ideally it should be grown in a sunny spot sheltered from strong winds. Soils enriched with decayed organic matter are ideal, but they must be free draining. Regular deep watering is needed during the hotter months of the year but soil should be allowed to dry out between watering in cooler weather. Slow-release fertiliser may be applied during the warmer months and the root zone mulched with decayed compost or manure. Little or no pruning is generally required.

Growing Friends Plant Sales may have this desirable plant from time to time, but with a scarcity of suitable propagation material it cannot be guaranteed. We continue to try!

It can be seen in the Royal Botanic Garden in bed 85 not far from the Herb Garden, and also bed 7 near the Woolloomooloo Gate. Margaret Hanks, Growing Friends, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

The beautiful flower of a Tree Gardenia

Jacaranda

ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN SYDNEY

Spring brings welcome renewal to the Royal Botanic Garden after the hiatus of winter.

The gardens are looking their best now before the heat and humidity of summer gets started. I always like to see the first spring flush of flowers in the Rose Garden. Our horticulturists have worked hard to test and select rose varieties that can handle Sydney’s conditions, and that hard work is now paying off, with the quality of roses having increased dramatically in recent years.

Our native rockery is well worth a visit, with so many of the stunning native plants blooming at this time of year. The rockery now includes a wonderful grevillea cultivar collection, most of which are in flower. There is also a paper daisy display at the rockery, adding an extra splash of colour.

The spring annuals are in full bloom around the Garden and make sure you look out for daffodils making an appearance in various locations. Of course, the Spring Walk is a must with the wisteria in full flower, complemented by the surrounding mixed borders. The Meadow is growing quickly now the weather has warmed up, providing vital food and habitat for the wonderful range of pollinating insects that visit the Garden.

In late spring, jacarandas are flowering across Sydney. The Royal Botanic Garden has the oldest jacaranda in Australia – a magnificent tree, located on the lower lawn near Victoria Lodge, which is in full bloom in November.

The white jacaranda on the nearby Mare and Foal Lawn is also well worth a visit. One of my favourite trees is the Millettia grandis at Henry Lawson Gate. This amazing flowering tree, with blooms resembling wisteria, is also in full flower in November.

This is a great time to visit the Garden and enjoy the huge range of plants now flowering. David Laughlin, Curator Manager

‘The Royal Botanic Garden has the oldest jacaranda in Australia’

Paper daisy

AUSTRALIAN BOTANIC GARDEN

Spring at the Australian Botanic Garden means the sun is shining, the bees are buzzing and visitors to the Connections Garden are greeted with a spectacular mass of colour. The wildflower display is something every plant enthusiast should see. A collection of Western Australia’s finest paper daisies is selected each year, with work beginning on the display in May when soil preparation commences. Seed is then mixed with peat and fine gravel before being broadcast, covering the area in a thin layer of seed mixture. To protect the plants from the resident wildlife in the Garden, the beds are covered with netting, which in late August is removed and the display revealed. Keep in mind that the display is short lived (lasting around six weeks), so be

Daffodil

sure not to miss it and plan your trip. Bring your friends and while you are at the Garden, I encourage you to explore the several unique gardens we have on offer. You will find waratahs bursting into bloom, featuring shades of crimson and white. The Arid Garden is producing spectacular Eremophila with vibrant flowers set among a silvery-velvet backdrop. Nectar-filled grevillea varieties are bursting with flowers in various shades of red, orange, yellow and white. The brightly-coloured rainbow lorikeets light up the sky and fill the air with squeaks and squawks, as do our raucous gangs of cockatoo. Species in the paper daisy display include Rhodanthe manglesii, Rhodanthe chlorocephala (pink with dark centre, pink with yellow centre, white) and Schoenia filifolia. Jarryd Kelly Supervisor Horticulture

BLUE MOUNTAINS BOTANIC GARDEN

Nothing says cool climate gardens like an abundance of bulbs, and the hills will be alive with tulips come spring at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden. A riot of orange and red tulips in the Entrance Beds will greet visitors as they arrive, while a frothy pink display of fringed tulips will grace the beds of the Formal Garden. From there, the scent of hyacinths will guide visitors through to the Visitor Centre entrance, with massed displays poking their heads above the ground beside the Wollemi Pines. Heading down the hill, the Brunet Meadow’s spring display will be unmissable, with a golden mass of hundreds of daffodil cultivars swaying gently in the breeze on the hillside. The Residence Garden, not one to be left out, will have a focus on Crocus on the Residence Lawn. Displays of vivid yellow and delicate pastel Ranunculus will also feature in the Residence Garden, abolishing all thoughts of winter and loudly announcing that ‘spring is here!’ Marion Whitehead, Supervisor Ornamental Gardens and Nursery

GROWING FRIENDS PLANT SALES

The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney Mon–Fri 11am–2pm, Sat 10am–2pm The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan Mon–Sun 9am–4pm The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah Mon–Sun 9.30am–4.30pm