Ross' favourite plants - Isopogon ceratophyllus

Family:  Proteaceae

Genus:  Isopogon
Species:  ceratophyllus
Common Name: Horny Cone Bush

Habit:  Small shrub to 60cm

Flowers:  Yellow round cones

Leaves:  Rigid and crowdy

Distribution: Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia

Very interesting form.

Ross

Ross' favourite plants - Banksia blechnifolia

Family:  Proteaceae

Genus:  Banksia

Species:  blechnifolia

Common Name: ?

Habit:  Small shrub to 40cm, Prostrate, will quickly spread

Flowers:  Late spring

Leaves:  Rigid and crowdy

Distribution: Western Australia

Tolerances:  Needs good drainage.  More resistant to die back than a lot of Banksias.


Ross

Ross' favourite plants - Acacia aphylla

Family:  Mimosaceae
Genus:  Acacia
Species:  aphylla
Common Name:  Leafless Rock Wattle
Habit:  Large shrub to 2.5m
Flowers:  Yellow inflorescence from August to October
Leaves:  Spiney, with a glaucaus coating

Another Western Australian that likes sandy loam,  but apparently can cope with some clay.

Ross

Nicky's favourite Plants - Leptospermum petersonii

Genus:  Leptospermum
Species:  petersonii
Leaves:  Lemon-scented leaves
Flowers:  Attractive white flowers through spring and summer are a notable feature of this attractive tea tree. The leaves give off a strong lemon fragrance and contain citral and citronellal. They can be made into tea that gives off a wonderful aroma or can be mixed with other tea varieties. It’s a fast growing plant to 3 or 4 metres high with a rounded shape and suitable for screening or as a windbreak. Petersonii occurs naturally in wet forests and rain forest areas of northern NSW and Queensland but adapts well to most areas when given well-drained soil and adequate water. We observe that it’s frost tolerant to around zero degrees C.

Nicky

Nicky's Favourite Plants - Adenanthos sericeus

Genus: Adenanthos
Species: sericeus
Common Name: Albany Woolly Bush or Silver Streak
Flower Colour: Red
Foliage Colour: Grey-Green
Growth Habit: Shrub 3m+
Flowering: Spring, Summer, Autumn
The Albany Woolly Bush is an absolutely fantastic Australian Native Plant. It is extremely hardy, surviving on very little water once established, and has the most beautiful grey-green leaves. It is also extremely soft leaved and will grow to a very large size if allowed.
Probably what the Albany Woolly Bush is best known for is it’s suitability to be used as an Australian Native Christmas Tree. Many people either grow themselves or buy an Albany Woolly Bush around Christmas time because it really suits this purpose well. The grey-green leaves give it a colour that almost ‘hints’ at being snow covered (which Australians still seem to like the idea of, even though many of us have never seen snow) and because of the size the Woolly Bush grows too, you really can get a decent sized Christmas tree.


I have 3 growing and they are dead easy to look after!

Nicky

Ross' favourite plants - Acacia anuera

Family:  Mimosaceae
Genus:  Acacia
Species:  anuera
Common Name:  Mulga
Habit:  Small tree to 7m but more often a large shrub
Flowers:  Yellow spikes appear after heavy rain
Distribution:  Throughout the centre of Australia
Leaves:  Spiney flattened Phyllodes which are actually adapted petioles not leaves.  The leaf has evolved out to reduce water loss through transpiration and evaporation.
Bird attracting and is said to live up to 400 years.

Ross