Australian Native Plants in our gardens

[fredg]

I can't see anywhere else to put this one.
It is Australian 

Cephalotus follicularis 'Big Boy'
I obtained the mother plant 25 years ago and have never had any trouble growing it as a bog plant.
This is a 'stem cutting' I accidentally pulled of a couple of years ago when I was cleaning off old leaves.
It's growing in pure sphagnum moss

[ranunculus]

Amazing plant ... super image.

[Ragged Robin]

Do tell us more, Fred, about this survivor - somehow it reminds me of Edward Lear's "Jumblies" who went to sea in a sieve 

[Paul T]

Fred,

I mentioned before that you must have a good collection of carnivorous plants..... you're just showing me I was right!!    I've tried it a couple of times and lost it.  I just love the look of it, probably my favourite of the pitcher plants.  Very nice shot, and congrats on propagating them so easily. 

[fredg]

Paul,

Many have great difficulty growing Cephalotus successfully, most say they can only be kept damp.

I grow them mainly in a Sarracenia compost and sit them in water trays ( it doesn't half irk people I get away with it ).
As I mentioned the one I pictured is in pure sphagnum.
I think it's on it's 3rd tier of pitchers due to the sphagnum growing..
I give them no heating here in the UK ( Midlands)

[Paul T]

So do you actually grow it outside then?  How cold do you get, and what do you do with it during winter?

[fredg]

No Paul, it's grown in an unheated greenhouse year round.
The conditions do get below freezing in winter.
I'm officially Zone 8b which is a minimum of 15 - 20F (- 6.7 to -9.4C)

Your zone is about the same on minimum.

[Paul T]

Fred,

The unheated glasshouse will make a big difference to actual cold level though.  I thought it was too good to be true!    Still, seeing your pic (and pics a while back from another topic) has me wanting to try it again.  Not that easy to get of course, but I think I might have to try.

[fredg]

Paul,
It's a lean-to greenhouse on a NW facing wall, it gets very little winter sun and vents are always open.
Cephalotus is a lot hardier than many people think, it's home temperature range in the SW tip of Australia does drop to 0C,this is an average minimum and it does fine for me below that.
I have also noted that one of the best stands of the plant is/was ,there has been a report the area was robbed out ,  on a South facing cliff, minimum sun in that position.

[Paul T]

Fred,

I didn't realise it was a shade lover.  Maybe that is why mine haven't done so well.  Hmmmmmm.... 

[cohan]

I can't see anywhere else to put this one.
It is Australian 

Cephalotus follicularis 'Big Boy'
I obtained the mother plant 25 years ago and have never had any trouble growing it as a bog plant.
This is a 'stem cutting' I accidentally pulled of a couple of years ago when I was cleaning off old leaves.
It's growing in pure sphagnum moss

wow! what a stunning plant! the fact that it is a shade plant makes it sound more feasible for indoors (in a cool room, of course) than many of the other boggies that want full sun..hmm will have to look it up a bit; it looks like it scarcely produces chlorophyll? are they growable from seed?

[daveyp1970]

i can also commend fred on cultivation of carnivorous plants,i only live round the corner from him and have seen his plants they are as good as his photos his Heli's are incredible,and a very generous chap with his time and plants as well.

[fermi de Sousa]

This is the double form of one of our native "bluebells", Wahlenbergia "Blue Mist"


Related to verticordia is Pileanthus peduncularis, "Copper Cups" from WA, said to be tricky on the East Coast and we've only just planted it so we'll see if it's still here next year! Although I'd be tempted to try again and again as it is an unusual colour "for a native".


I can't grow gentians in the open garden so for that "gentian blue" we grow Halganias! H. cyanea comes from the Mallee but grows widely in Australia,


Halgania preissiana comes from WA and has prickly, little ilex-like foliage - sharp!


To finish, the lovely new growth on Banksia petiolaris, one of the trailing types.


cheers
fermi

 

[Ragged Robin]

Lovely native plants growing for your Fermi, Banksia petiolaris is a wonderful wavy leaf in your young growth shot

[ashley]

Philotheca myoporoides just starting to flower in the garden, in a pot