Author name: Gayle D

Chrysalis of an Orchard Swallowtail on Finger Lime

Today I noticed the finger lime in the front garden was almost leafless. At first I assumed it was another casualty of the flooding rains of early March 2022. But on closer inpection… I’d say this is the chrysalis of an Orchard Swallowtail butterfly. They’ve been breeding on the K-lime on the other side of

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Callistemon Matthew Flinders

Matthew Flinders: Supposed to grow less than 1 metre high. Red bottlebrush flowers attract small honey eating birds to your garden.  Flowers are at their peak in late winter and spring but with some scattered flower throughout the year.  Prune after flowering – flowers on new growth Where: – 3 planted on verge in 2020

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Melastoma malabathricum was Melastoma affine (Blue Tongue)

(was Melastoma affine, also known as Native Lassiandra) 6 March 2021 – after the rain I have found both my Melastomas in flower. But only the one in the front garden appears to be the native Melastoma malabathricum Native Lassiandra is a rounded shrub grows to three metres high with lilac flowers to five cm

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Chrysocephalum apiculatum (Yellow Buttons)

Host plant for Painted Lady Butterfly Evergreen perennial with prostrate spreading habit Green or Silver Grey Leaves to 5 cm x 25 mm Small Yellow flowers in terminal clusters most of the year. I’ve tried this plant several times as a groundcover without success until one plant in a pot against the back wall was

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Bursaria spinosa

Prickly for the birds – full sun to partial shade. Prune to keep bushy. Tubestock from Kumbartcho. Planted in middle bed 3 December 2020 Died after extreme rain even February/March 2022 Links: https://www.gardeningwithangus.com.au/bursaria-spinosa-sweet-bursaria/ “ranging from a prostate shrub to a small tree — in cultivation it is usually grown as a small to medium shrub for garden

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Sophora tomentosa

Tubestock from Kumbartcho 1 July 2024 Shrub to 6 Metres High ( much taller than Sophora fraseri) Full Sun / Shaded Soil/  Conditions: Adaptable, prefers Moist Description: Erect Spreading Habit Evergreen Perennial Sparsely branched Yellow pea flowers to 25 mm long in sprays to 15 cm long in Spring to Summer Green cylindrical seed pods

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Senna acclinis

The native senna shrub growing to 3 m in height, not the invasive one. Tubestock from Kumbartcho. It’s had its first flowers and now developing seed pods Links: Species profile— Senna acclinis – Queensland Government https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedSpeciesApp/profile.aspx?id=10753

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Indigofera australis

Tubestock from Kumbartcho 6-10-2020 Full Sun / Semi-Shade Soil/Conditions: Adaptable Description: Spreading Open Habit Evergreen Perennial Blue-Green velvety leaves to 4 cm on Purple stems Pink to Light Purple flowers to 6 mm on spikes to 15 cm in Spring Bright Green spotted seed pods to 45 mm Family: Fabaceae Natural Habitat: Open Eucalypt Forest

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Plectranthus argentatus

Velvety silvery green leaves to 110mm. Pinch out to encourage bushiness. White / pale blue flowers from summer through to autumn. Small soft nut fruit? Prefers well-drained soils in shade but will grow in sun. Needs hard pruning every couple of years. Tubestock Kumbartcho 27 November 2020.  Thriving under the Acacia fimbriata facing SE corner.

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Citrus Australis

Citrus Australis tubestock from Kumbartcho 27 November 2020 The Dooja, round lime, Gympie lime, Australian lime or Australian round lime, native to Queensland.  Full sun to part shade. Prune to shape and size required. Like all citruses: attracts Orchard swallowtail, fuscous swallowtail, dainty swallowtail butterflies Links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citrus_australis https://witjutigrub.com.au/index.php/info-sheets/10-round-lime-gympie-lime-or-dooja-citrus-australis https://www.daleysfruit.com.au/bushfood/roundlime.htm https://sown.com.au/citrus-australis-rutaceae-native-lime-round-lime/

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Themeda triandra Kangaroo Grass

Known as Kangaroo Grass.  According to Kumbartcho, local habit is Tussock Forming Erect Habit Evergreen Perennial to 60 cm High Full Sun, Adaptable / Well-Drained Green slender leaves to 50 cm Flowers in spikes to 1.5 Metres high in Spring to Summer Brown pointed seed capsules to 7 cm, often pendulous Family: Poaceae Natural Habitat: Eucalypt Forest

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Cyperus gracilis

Slender flat sedge native to Australia. The species epithet gracilis refers to the graceful form of the leaves. “SEDGE TO 0.3 METRES TALL Densely tufted grass-like plant with slender pale green foliage. Small yellow-green flowers are held on stalks above the foliage in spring & summer. Quite adaptable & hardy once established, often self-sowing around the

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Front western garden

This is a very exposed spot, with winds from the south and winds from the west. The Acacia fimbriata split at a fork in the truck on a particularly gusty day so we lost half the tree. I cut off the side branch and the rest of the tree survived and now thrives. Other plants in the

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Kookaburra

A kookaburra has been visiting the garden most days. It likes to perch on the small roof near the pond and I was worried that it had its eye on the frog. But today, it swooped down and dug out a large worm from the garden bed. You can hear the small brown honeyeaters and the

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Front Garden Pond

I’ve moved this pond from the back garden where trees had grown and were overhanging. I put it in the middle of the front garden bed, based on an assignment for Backyard Biodiversity course with UTAS. Pond plants from Kumbartcho Nursery October 2020 Front pond 2 December 2020 about 8am so getting some morning shade.

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Pavetta

Pavetta australiensis Pavetta Butterfly Bush

Shrub to 4 Metres High Dense Rounded Habit Evergreen Perennial Aspect: Full Sun / Shaded Soil/Conditions: Adaptable/Moist Green glossy leaves to 14 cm long White perfumed 4-petalled 8 mm flowers in clusters in Spring Black 8 mm globular berry fruit Family: Rubiaceae Natural Habitat: Dry Rain Forest Special Features: • Butterfly and Moth Attracting •

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Schoenoplectus mucronatus

Schoenoplectus mucronatus (Triangular Club Rush)

Erect Clumping Habit Perennial Herb Green triangular stems to 8 mm thick Pale Brown flowers and fruit in clustered spikelets to 20 mm Full Sun Soil/Conditions: Moist / Water to 50 cm Family: Cyperaceae Natural Habitat: Wetlands • Frog Habitat • Dam Edge Stablising Plant From Kumbartcho 6/10/2020 for new pond in front garden

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Noisy Friarbirds

There seem to be more Noisy Friarbirds than ever this spring. Here are two noisy friarbirds shooting the breeze today in the Graptophyllum ilicifolium (Holly Fuschia) Noisy Friarbirds are large honeyeaters. They don’t seem to bother the smaller birds in the garden.

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hibiscus flower

Hibiscus splendens

Hibiscus splendens is a large, sprawling, dry-rainforest shrub that grows 3-6 metres high. The leaves are hairy and slightly prickly. Stems can be prickly. Flowers are large, pink and typical hibiscus shape. Individual flowers open and close with the sun but only last 1-2 days but new flowers continue to open over a long period,

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