Of all the native Australian plants, I’d have to say the Banksias are probably my favourite. And I know there are many other people out there who are Banksia fans, eager to collect as many species as possible. The only downside is that living up here in the tropics we are limited to growing only those species that can handle our very humid wet season. If you’ve ever tried growing a Southern species or worse still, one from W.A. you would have learnt that they do very well in the dry season, but once the wet-season starts, they go down-hill very quickly until all that’s left are some soggy black leaves around a desiccated stem. The good news is that there are a number of very diverse species that grow very well up here in the Far North. These are our own tropical Banksias which people down south or in WA have trouble growing.

At last count I’ve planted more than 70 banksias in my garden. I have to admit, most of these are local varieties of the Hair-pin Banksia (Banksia spinulosa) but that’s simply because these are my all-time favourites. Even though they can be neglected and left un-pruned, they’ll grow into a decent shape and reward you with spectacular showy flowers each year. I should also point out that the local birds will appreciate the abundance of nectar they produce. In my opinion they are almost the perfect native plant for the home garden. They’re small, require very little maintenance, are drought tolerant, will grow in poor soils and on difficult rocky sites. They’ll even attract birds with their large spectacular flower spikes. What more could you want? They are even a curious plant because if they’re grown from wild collected seed like the ones at Yuruga Nursery, you won’t know what colour the flowers are going to be until they come into bloom. Colours normally vary from orange to yellow, but very occasionally a red or white flowering plant will appear in the mix.

There are a handful of other Banksia species that have proven to grow well in the tropics. The Hinchinbrook Banksia, (Banksia plagiocarpa) which as the name implies comes from Hinchinbrook Island. It’s a medium sized shrub or small tree that may grow as tall as 4 meters in cultivation. The most interesting feature of this plant is the colour of its flowers, they are a sort of blue grey which has lead to it also being called the Blue Banksia. Though I have to say, recognising the blue in their flowers does require some imagination. Of all the banksias in my garden, this one definitely has the most consistent flowering, in fact it appears to produce flowers all year. If you’re after a more rugged Australiana look in your garden you should consider planting a Swamp Banksia (Banksia robur). It’s not what I would call a beautiful plant but rather one with lots of character. Its branches are rarely straight, and its very large leaves are more rigid than you would expect. The flowers aren’t colourful but they are big and solid, and won’t move under the weight of even the most gorged honeyeater. Banksia dentata has the least imaginative name of all the Northern Banksias. It’s simply known as the Tropical Banksia. An appropriate name as this species even occurs in New Guinea, and that makes it the only Banksia to grow naturally outside Australia. There are two more species which are worth considering. The Coastal Banksia (Banksia integrifolia) from south of the tropics grows well in costal conditions. And Banksia aquilonia which grows more as a rainforest tree than the small shrubs we associate with banksias.

To be quite frank, if you live in the tropics I wouldn’t even bother with the remaining 72 banksia species unless you’re after a real challenge and don’t mind frequent failure. The six species I’ve written about have a good track record in local gardens, and furthermore they are varied in size, growth habit and flower colour, which means you’re not missing out on anything either. So, go on and do yourself and the local wildlife a favour by planting a local Banksia today.

Marcus Achatz
Yuruga Nursery

(Published in Cairns City Life magazine, May 2009)

It’s actually not as straightforward as it first appears. Most couples don’t have a line drawn down the middle of their garden with one side hers and one side his. In fact, it may not even be equally proportioned as the keenest gardener will naturally take possession of the largest section.

As you would expect, the garden known as “her garden” is the beautiful one. It contains those plants that enhance the appearance of the home. Lush green foliage to show everything is healthy and well nourished. Plants that drop lots of leaves or shed their bark are definitely not wanted. And if a plant has prickles or thorns it must have flowers so stunning that they make the less desirable features seem insignificant.

“His garden” is normally a bit more on the curious side and occasionally more practical than beautiful. On occasion his garden will consist of nothing more than the lawn and the lemon tree. By the way, peeing on the lemon tree to make the lemons more flavoursome is a justification, not a requirement. Men will plant trees for reasons women will not understand. The fact a red cedar is much too large to grow to maturity in a residential garden is apparently not as important as the fact its timber is of great value. Some of us will even grow plants simply to see if we can prove the experts wrong.

Now, how about the part of the garden that is “their garden” – this is the shared garden. The garden containing all the odds and ends that neither wants to lay claim to. There’s the rose bush given to you by aunt Carroll, plants that were purchased jointly because each of you thought the other one liked it when in fact you both thought it was hideous, and the plants that the kids brought home from school projects. Unfortunately as no one accepts ownership of this garden it’s never going to look as presentable as the other two. It might even be easier just to give it to the kids to look after so they don’t feel left out of the whole gardening monopoly. At least that way, if aunt Carroll’s thorny rose bush finally dies, it won’t be your fault.

There’s great value in having patches of garden that are managed by different gardeners. It facilitates a great diversity in what is actually a small space. There are patches of beauty to look at, patches of curiosities to talk about and patches of odds and ends that resist categorisation. In total, a patchwork of gardens that reflect the personality of the family.

Marcus Achatz
Yuruga Nursery

(Published in Cairns City Life magazine, August 2008)

Grevilleas are a fantastic source of nectar for birds. In fact some flowers can be so laden with sweet nectar that it will drip from the flowers early in the morning, and this is a good opportunity to sample some of the sugary syrup yourself just as Aborigines have done for centuries.

Naturally, other flowering plants can also be used to attract birds, but none come close to the success of grevilleas. They have co-evolved with our native nectar-feeding birds and are perfect partners. The grevilleas provide food for the birds in the form of rich nectar, and in return the birds transport pollen from one flower to the next. It’s so simple yet effective.

Humans benefit in two ways – we enjoy providing a buffet for our native feathered friends, watching their antics as they dine, and the colourful splash they bring to the garden.  Grevillea flowers come in a large range of colours and forms, decorating and adding allure to any garden.

There are a large number of grevilleas available that do well in the tropics as long as you have a well-drained spot to grow them in. The traditional cultivars come with names as colourful as their flowers. Strawberry blonde, orange marmalade, pink surprise, moonlight, honey gem and misty pink, just to name a few. There are also wild grevillea species such as shiressii, venusta, formosa and pteridifolia, which may be a little difficult to find in most nurseries, but are definitely worth searching for. Surprisingly even Yuruga Nursery may not have these species all of the time so you need to be diligent if you’re after something very special.

So there you have it, it’s easy to attract native birds to your garden – simply plant a couple of grevilleas. You’ll be surprised by the number of native birds that will visit while they are in flower.

Happy gardening.

Marcus Achatz
Yuruga Nursery

(Published in Cairns City Life magazine, February 2008)

Fortunately that’s all a load of bull. Sure, you can plant a native bush garden like I’ve described, and there is nothing wrong with that, but by no means are you restricted to such a dull selection of plants, nor will you have to give up the lush green foliage or the colourful flowers. And surprise, all those plants I said were now off limits are also available as natives.

There are at least five species of native cordylines in our rainforests, over 20 species of hibiscus and hibiscus-like shrubs and half a dozen North Queensland gardenias including Gardenia macgillivraei with its fragrant white flowers. There are also many native gingers including the spectacular red leafed Alpinia caerulea and Alpinia arctiflora with its showy snow white flowers. So you see, native gardens aren’t about dieting, they’re actually about choosing “Australian made” rather than imported. You can plant your lush foliage, bright flowers and tropical plants until your garden’s bursting at the fence line and spilling into your neighbours yard.

In my opinion, growing natives shouldn’t be penance for past misdeeds, and you shouldn’t be doing it because you feel you have to, like eating bran. Give it a try, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the wonderful range of tropical plants ‘local’ to our region. Your garden will be the envy of those on a diet of foreign foliage, and native birds and butterflies will have a feast.

Marcus Achatz
Yuruga Nursery

(Published in Cairns City Life magazine, December 2007)

So understandably when you invite your friends around for a backyard barbeque you’re not going to impress anyone by picking delicate blossoms and offering them to your mates to smell.  If you do, then you’re either going to make them feel a little uncomfortable, or they’ll think you’re getting too in touch with your feminine side.

Does this mean blokes can’t share their appreciation for fragrance in the garden? Not at all. You just need to stay clear of the whole flower scene, and opt for something a little less feminine, such as fragrant foliage. As there is nothing feminine about crushing leaves.

You see, when crushed, some native plants release a strong scent from their leaves. The most noteworthy of which are the lemon-scented plants such as the Lemon Scented Tea Tree, Gum, Ironbark, and Myrtle. There are also more common aromas such as standard Tea Tree and Eucalypt.  However there are also more unexpected fragrances such as Aniseed Myrtle whose crushed leaves smell just like Sambuca.

In fact, it’s possible to create an entire native garden using only plants with fragrant foliage, as many are small enough to plant in a residential block.

Apart from not being sissy, there is another advantage fragrant foliage has over pretty flowers.

It smells all year round, so there is no need to wait for them to flower. You can grab a hand full of leaves anytime, give it a good crush, and a good sniff, and enjoy your garden without looking all new-age and sensitive.

Happy Gardening

Marcus Achatz
Yuruga Nursery

(Published in Cairns City Life magazine, October 2007)

Here at Yuruga Nursery, we’ve been roaming Cape York Peninsula for over 25 years, collecting and recording the flora of this fantastic wilderness situated right on our doorstep.

Plants from the Cape make fantastic plants in gardens and landscapes, not only for their intrinsic beauty, but also because a large proportion of them are extremely tough and hardy in cultivation. This is no doubt due to the harsh climate to which they are adapted. Cape York Peninsula has a pronounced tropical monsoonal climate; in other words it is very hot and dry for about 9 months of the year, and then for 3 months it is very hot and wet. Plants have to be tough to survive (and thrive) in such extremes.

It’s common for people who have never travelled on the Cape to assume that the vegetation is dense tropical rainforest throughout, and to get a huge shock on their first visit when they find that they can drive virtually the whole way to Bamaga without seeing any rainforest at all! In fact, the main route up the centre of the Cape passes through open sclerophyll forest for pretty well the entire journey, with the only relief being the gallery rainforests along the creek and river crossings, and larger patches of scrub towards the Tip.

So, the traveller could easily form the view that the Cape is hot, dry and dusty, and that the flora is dull and boring. However, look more closely, take a few side tracks, and a whole world of amazing and phenomenal flora is revealed.

The Cape is actually home to a wide variety of plant habitats, from open sclerophyll forest to dense rainforest, from vast heathlands to fantastic wetlands, from windswept headlands to pristine wild rivers. The purpose of this article is to give you a glimpse into the huge diversity of flora on the Cape, and to give you an insight into where some of the plants that we sell in the nursery come from in the wild.

Eucalyptus phoenicea

Starting your journey through the Cape from the south, you haven’t got far to go before you pass through the territory of two of Queensland’s most fantastic eucalypts. The dry stony hills in the Palmer River area of the southern Peninsula are home to the Lemon Scented Ironbark (Eucalyptus staigeriana). Crush the leaves and experience the most amazing lemon scent – pure heaven! If you travel via Cooktown and the Battle Camp Road, you will pass through a lovely stand of the bright orange-flowered gum tree Scarlet Gum (Eucalyptus phoenicea). What a stunningly beautiful flower, and a great tree for tropical gardens.

The shady gallery rainforests along the creeks and rivers of the Cape are a welcome relief from the heat, and a great place to stop for a cuppa. Most Cape York watercourses are lined with beautiful paperbarks – usually Melaleuca leucadendra or the silver-leafed Melaleuca argentea. Chances are there’ll also be the Mango Pine (Barringtonia calyptrata) and its smaller cousin the Freshwater Mangrove (Barringtonia acutangula). A couple of Satinash species are very common along the watercourses of the Cape, particularly the Flaky Barked Satinash (Syzygium forte subsp potamophilum) and the River Cherry (Syzygium tierneyanum). You will also find the beautiful Weeping Tea Tree (Leptospermum madidum) with its lovely lime green foliage and smooth white sculptured trunk.

In bogs and soaks you will always find the Red Beech (Dillenia alata), the Native Lasiandra (Melastoma affine), the Swamp Satinash (Syzygium angophoroides), and various pandanus species (Screw Palms).

The open forests are dominated by various eucalypt species, one of the most prominent being Eucalyptus tetradonta. Here and there you will see the dark green Golden Bouquet Tree (Deplanchea tetraphylla) with its huge leaves and equally huge heads of bright yellow flowers. This spreading shady tree is known on the Cape as the ‘Wallaby Wireless Tree’ because wallabies are fond of the flowers and will often congregate under a flowering tree for a feed and the chance to catch up on the local wildlife gossip.

Banksia dentata

Dotted everywhere through the woodlands and heath country of the Cape are two signature plants: the Cape York Banksia (Banksia dentata), a small tree with twisted form and yellow banksia flowers, and Broad Leaved Paperbark (Melaleuca viridiflora), another small tree with papery bark and wonderful bottlebrush flowers which may be any shade from deep maroon, through delicate pastel pink, to salmon, cream, and even green. When you come across a patch of this beautiful melaleuca in flower, stop and go for a wander, and see how many different flower colours you can find.

The Golden Grevillea (Grevillea pteridifolia) is very common on the Cape, and a dominant plant in the heathlands is the Yellow Tea-Tree (Neofabricea myrtifolia), which makes a great shrub in your garden. You may find the Golden Penda (Xanthostemon chrysanthus) along some of the watercourses, but out on the windswept sand dunes of Temple Bay is the stunning (and very rare) Red Penda (Xanthostemon youngii) with its bright orange-red flowers.

Rainforests may be rare along the main road, but it’s worth the effort to take some roads less travelled. For instance, the road to Portland Roads passes through the rainforests of Iron Range, which is an absolute wonderland of lush tropical rainforest species. If you happen to be there at just the right time, the cascading new growth of the Cascading Bean (Maniltoa lenticellata) will literally take your breath away. Iron Range harbours a myriad of wonderful species including the Bamaga Satinash (Sygzium bamagense), the Fibrous Satinash (Syzygium fibrosum), the native Water Cherry (Syzygium aqueum), the delicate Syzygium puberulum, and just so much more. Two of these (Syzygium fibrosum and Syzygium aqueum) have delicious edible fruits which are making their mark in the emerging Bush Foods industry.

Gardenia scabrella

The flora of the Cape is so diverse and so fantastic that this article can only but scratch the surface. There’s just so many species that it’s impossible to do it justice, save to comment that many, many of the plants on our regular nursery stock list are from Cape York Peninsula since they make tough, hardy and very attractive plants in cultivation.

The final word, however, goes to two of our favourite Cape York plants, the Cape Plum (Flacourtia sp), and the Cape York gardenias. The Cape Plum is a simply gorgeous shrub, suitable for just about any situation. And the gardenias are just so beautiful! For instance, Gardenia scabrella is a neat, rounded shrub with beautiful large star-shaped white flowers, while its prostrate cousin Gardenia sp Glennie River is one of the very best groundcovers for tropical gardens. These hugely popular plants are just some of the hundreds of plant introductions made from Cape York Peninsula by Yuruga Nursery over the years.

The focus of this article is for gardeners in tropical Australia.
However, the basic principles apply for throughout Australia
with minor modifications for local conditions.

Native gardens all across the tropics are bursting into bloom for Christmas.

Here in our Yuruga gardens we have four different native cassias in flower all at once, making a blaze of yellow and orange hues against the bright blue summer sky and a beautiful carpet of fallen petals scattered on our lawns and pathways. What an absolute delight!

The native cassias are so lovely compared to the commonly grown exotic species that it really is a wonder why they are not grown more often. Cassia sp Paluma Range is one of our all-time favourite plants being a neat, tidy, dense shrub with dark green tropical foliage. The large bunches of bright yellow flowers hang down amongst the leaves and branches making a spectacular display of green and gold.

Cassia queenslandica is a larger, more open tree which is so much tidier than the common exotic Cassia fistula , while Cassia brewsteri and Cassia tomentella are hardy shrubs suitable for drier gardens. Together, the native cassias make an absolutely fantastic display.

Yellow and red are a feature of early summer. The Flame Tree Brachychiton acerifolius is now in full bloom, and the Red Beech Dillenia alata is making a fantastic show with its bright yellow flowers displayed against huge glossy green leaves. The Freshwater Mangrove Barringtonia acutangula is dripping with fluffy red flowers which carpet the ground beneath its branches, and the native cordylines are loaded with huge bunches of shiny bright red fruit.

High in the canopy the Queensland Maple Flindersia brayleyana is laden with large heads of fluffy white flowers, the Southern Silky Oak Grevillea robusta is ablaze with nectar-laden orange flowers which are driving the lorikeets crazy, and the Native Frangipanni Hymenosporum flavum is covered from head to toe with scented orange and white blooms. Everywhere we walk the ground is carpeted with flowers.

Down at eye level the Scented Daphne Phaleria clerodendron is packed full of the most beautiful scented flowers you can imagine, cramming every available inch along the trunk and branches. The Lime Berry Micromelum minutum is loaded with white flowers and orange fruit all at the same time, and the beautiful native gardenias are covered with stunning star flowers for Christmas. The native fuchsias (Graptophyllum spp) are packed with pink and red flowers all along their stems, the Pink Phyllanthus Phyllanthus cuscutiflorus is dripping with masses of delicate blossoms, and the Little Evodia Melicope rubra is a mass of flower for the third time this year.

Fluffy white flowers are hanging crowded from the trunk of the Lockerbie Satinash Syzygium branderhorstii, and several other lilly-pillies including Syzygium australe, Syzygium bamagense, Syzygium buetterianum and Syzygium pseudofastigiatum are also bursting into bloom. The Fibrous Satinash Syzygium fibrosum was covered with masses of flowers a few weeks ago and is now heavy-laden with juicy bunches of bright pink edible fruit.

Grevillea baileyana has been flowering for weeks now, and the masses of white flowers look fantastic amongst its bronze foliage silhouetted against the blue sky. And then there’s all the callistemons , melaleucas and grevilleas that are in flower, not to mention the loads of showy, colourful and decorative fruit that are starting to adorn the garden. The photos on this page show just some of them.

So, sit back and enjoy your native gardens in full flower and fruit this festive season.

Merry Christmas!

The focus of this article is for gardeners in tropical Australia.
However, the basic principles apply for throughout Australia
with minor modifications for local conditions.

Banksias, named after Joseph Banks who collected the first specimens in 1770, are amongst the best known Australian wild-flowers.

With their absolutely magnificent flowers and characteristically Australian appearance, everyone wants to plant these wonderful plants in their gardens, and books and magazines are full of enticing photos of amazing banksias to grow.

But … there’s a trap of course! Most of the fantastic banksias featured in glossy books and magazines and on television programmes are from south west Western Australia and are quite unsuitable for planting in gardens in tropical north Queensland. This is because the climate of south west WA is almost the exact opposite of north Queensland. South west WA experiences cold wet winters and hot dry summers while here in the monsoon tropics of north Queensland we have warm dry winters and hot wet summers. Unfortunately, banksias from south west WA simply cannot handle a tropical wet season, and they quickly succumb and die.

So, the solution is quite obvious ….. simply plant Queensland banksias! And luckily, there’s several really nice ones to choose from, as you can see from those illustrated here. With the exception of the Hinchinbrook Banksia (Banksia plagiocarpa) which has quite specific cultivation requirements, all the banksias described here are remarkably easy to grow and are suitable for gardens right across tropical north Queensland.

Banksia flowers are renowned for their copious production of nectar, and so banksias are wonderful plants to attract honeyeaters to your gardens. Banksia flowers are stunning in a vase or in floral art, and the gnarled seed pods that form after the flowers have finished make terrific dried arrangements and ornaments.

There’s a few tricks you need to know in order to grow banksias successfully:

• Firstly, as a general rule they do not like wet feet and so they should be planted in friable, well drained soil. The exception to this rule is the Swamp Banksia (Banksia robur) which is more than happy in sodden ground – the more water the better as long as the soil does not turn sour.
• Secondly, to get lots of flowers they should be planted in an open position that gets full sun for most of the day.
• Thirdly (and very, very importantly!) be very careful what fertiliser you use. Banksias are extremely sensitive to phosphorous. It is very easy to poison them by inadvertently applying a fertiliser with too much phosphorous, and this is true of most general garden fertilisers. The golden rule is to make sure that the fertiliser you use has a phosphorous content of 3% or less. Look for a fertiliser that is specifically labelled as suitable for natives, and check the phosphorous level on the label before you use it! For more information, pick up the Yuruga Information Sheet “Fertilising Native Plants” next time you visit Yuruga Nursery.

Queensland banksias:

Banksia spinulosa

Hill Banksia (Banksia spinulosa)

Banksia spinulosa is one of the showiest of the banksias, bearing a multitude of large bright orange brushes for a long period each year. This plant is a dense hardy shrub growing to about two to three metres in height, and is a prolific flowerer. A plant in full flower makes a superb floral display, and attracts a host of honeyeaters.
Best planted in a full sun position, this shrub makes an excellent screen plant and retains its compact habit with minimal pruning.

Hinchinbrook Banksia (Banksia plagiocarpa)

Banksia plagiocarpa is a stunning and unusual banksia. Quite rare in the wild (it is found only on Hinchinbrook Island and the adjacent coastal mainland) it is a small tree growing to about 3- 4 metres high. This banksia has fantastic velvety bronze new growth, attractive toothed leaves, and the most fantastic flowers which start out as blue-grey buds, opening to yellow.

This banksia is much sought-after in the cut flower industry. However, it is the most difficult to grow of the Queensland banksias, preferring the cooler, moister conditions found in the Atherton and Malanda areas of the Tablelands.

Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia)
Banksia integrifolia is a small, gnarled tree with an interesting form. This species is quite tolerant of windy coastal conditions and salt spray, and it makes an excellent feature, especially in coastal gardens where it thrives on sandy soils.

It has grey-green leaves which are silvery-white beneath, and bears yellow banksia flowers for a long period during the year.

Banksia aquilonia

Mountain Banksia (Banksia aquilonia)
Banksia aquilonia is an attractive small tree in the garden, with lovely decorative foliage and yellow banksia brushes. This banksia occurs naturally in the rainforest margins on the mountains throughout north Queensland. Easy to grow, it is happy in dappled shade and also makes a very attractive pot specimen especially if it is kept heavily pruned to encourage the formation of dense foliage.

Giant Candles (Banksia ‘Giant Candles’)
Banksia Giant Candles is a hybrid between the Heath Banksia (Banksia ericifolia) and Banksia spinulosa, and it displays the best features of both its parents. A large shrub growing to 3 – 4 metres high, it has fine soft foliage and a dense compact form which lends it to use as an excellent screen plant.

The flowers are spectacular, giant, candle-like, bright orange brushes up to 30 cm long, and they are borne in profusion. Preferring a well-drained, sunny, open position, this superb banksia attracts myriads of nectar-feeding birds when in flower.

Banksia dentata

Cape York Banksia (Banksia dentata)
Banksia dentata is a handsome small tree from the open forests and heathlands of Cape York Peninsula. It has attractive, toothed leaves (hence the name ‘dentata’) which are green above and white beneath, and produces masses of yellow bottlebrush flowers each year, mostly during the dry season.

This banksia has an unusual corky trunk, and often grows into a twisted, gnarled shape which adds a distinctly Australian character to the garden.

Swamp Banksia (Banksia robur)
Banksia robur is a very handsome shrub with enormous, serrated, dark green leaves. It has most unusual flowers which start out as an olive-green colour as buds, open out to beautiful golden brushes, and mature to rich brown spikes before forming decorative pods.

Growing to only about 2 metres tall in most situations, this banksia prefers lots of water and will tolerate swampy conditions.