Satinwood - Nematolepis squamea ssp. squamea


Common name - Satinwood
Latin - Nematolepis squamea ssp. squamea
Pruning - Has no dormant buds so pruning won't result in new growth
Frost tolerance - Very tolerant especially when mature
Soil - Grows well in moist soils with or without good drainage
Watering - Keep moist, does not tolerate dry conditions
Flowers - White flowers in spring
Summer -
Autumn -
Winter -
Spring -
Fertilising - Annually after flowering but not really needed
Propagation - Difficult to propagate from seed. Cuttings strike well from current season's growth

An attractive large shrub or small tree to 5 metres. Satinwood has dark green leaves with silver undersides and clusters of white flowers in spring. Widespread in wet forests and along riverbanks where it prefers partial shade.


Lemon Bottlebrush - Callistemon pallidus


Common name - Lemon bottlebrush
Latin - Callistemon pallidus or Melaleuca pallida
Pruning - Responds well and encourages dense, bushy habit
Frost tolerance - High
Soil - Does well in all soils and adapts to waterlogging
Watering - Prefers a moist site. Tolerates but does not thrive in dry conditions
Flowers - October - January
Summer -
Autumn -
Winter -
Spring -
Fertilising - Mulch and complete fertiliser in spring and autumn
Propagation - Collect old seed capsules all year. Leave to dry and very fine seed will be released. Sow early spring with very light cover. Take cuttings from new growth that has hardened February-March. Strikes easily

An upright hardy shrub with slender spreading branches growing to a height of 3m by 2m across. The fresh lemon coloured brushes present a pleasing contrast to the grey-green foliage.

Useful in shelterbelts. Flowers provide food for nectar-eating mammals, for insects and so for insect-eating birds. Susceptible to browsing by possums and wallabies.

Blueberry Ash - Elaeocarpus reticulatus



Common name - Blueberry Ash
Latin - Elaeocarpus reticulatus
Pruning - A dense crown of foliage, and approximately conical form without pruning. If pruned resprouts thickly, making it an excellent hedging plant. The new growth is an attractive pinkish colour.
Frost tolerance - XX
Soil - Survives well in low nutrient and dry soils but prefers wet locations.
Watering - Water regularly for best results
Flowers - October to January. Masses of white and sometimes pinkish flowers are arranged in rows along branchlets. They are cup-shaped with a fringed edge, giving them the appearance of small hanging skirts, hence the common name of 'Fairy Petticoats'. These small flowers, about 1 cm long, also have an unusual liquorice scent.
Summer - Flowering
Autumn - Fruiting
Winter - Fruiting
Spring - Fruiting
Fertilising - XX
Propagation - XX

NOTES

Native Flax - Linum marginale


Common name - Native Flax
Latin - Linum marginale
Pruning -
Frost tolerance - High.
Soil - Grows well in most soil types.
Watering - Tolerates seasonal waterlogging. Is very drought tolerant.
Flowers - November and December
Summer - Dies back in Summer.
Autumn - Reshoots with the return of regular rain.
Winter -
Spring -
Fertilising -
Propagation - Will drop seeds and grow vigorously throughout the garden. Pour warm to hot water on seed and soak for 5 minutes or so. A gel will form around the seed. To sow the seed, add sand or perlite to this gel/seed mix to separate the seeds out as they stick together quite intensely. Best to sow in spring and summer, 20-25 deg C

Found in the ground layer in open dry forests. Open clusters of blue flowers in spring to autumn. Prefers a well drained position in full sun or part shade. Good ‘filler’ for the dry garden.

The Wurundjerri people used the stems to make twine for fishing nets. The seeds closely resemble sesame seeds, have a similar nutty taste and can be used in the same way.

Handsome Beauty - Veronica Formosa



Common name - Handsome Beauty
Latin - Veronica formosa
Pruning - Responds well to pruning as it tends to become lanky. In winter the old stems should be cut back to make the plant more compact.
Frost tolerance - Heavy -7ÂșC
Soil - Grows well in most soils.
Watering -
Flowers - From late Spring or early Summer
Summer -
Autumn -
Winter - Prune old stems to make more compact.
Spring -
Fertilising -
Propagation - Take cuttings in late January. These will strike in about 6 weeks.

Veronica formosa is a common native shrub that grows in damp woodlands and open forests through most of eastern Tasmania. It has narrow, opposite and decussate leaves that are entire, up to 2 cm long . The flowers are almost radially symmetrical, with the upper petal slightly larger, white to blue-purple and in dense, spike-like inflorescences scattered in the upper branches.

Trigger plant - Stylidium graminifolium


Common name - Trigger plant
Latin - Stylidium graminifolium
Pruning - None
Frost tolerance - Heavy
Soil - Well drained
Watering - Not required. Becomes dormant in dry periods
Flowers - Spring and Summer
Summer - Flowering
Autumn -
Winter - Becomes dormant and dies back
Spring - Reshoots and begins flowering
Fertilising - Slow release low phosphorous


Tasmania has six native species of Stylidium. These are characterised by the trigger plant habit- where the flowers have the style and stamens fused together to form a column that springs across the flower when its bottom is tickled. Three species are perennial rosette plants with numerous leaves. These are the very widespread and common, S. graminifolium, which has leaves less than 3mm wide; S. dilatatum, which is common in dry places and has leaves more than 3mm wide; and S. armeria, which has thick, broad leave and short thick flowering stalks and grows on rocks in the salt spray zone of the west, south and far south-eastern coasts. The other three species are small ephemeral plants with few leaves. n.b. Stylidium inundatuam is probably not native to Tasmania (specimens previously identified as such were probably another of the ephemeral species).