Gota bunch of new plants over the weekend

[Justin]

I made my twice-a-decade jaunt up to Ojai over the weekend, visiting Australian Native Plants nursery (www.australianplants.com). They are one of the top, if not the top, grower of Australian and South African proteaceae in Southern California.

I have a list of plants I wanted, and cross-checked that against their availability, and went up with a long list of plants that I thought would fit in the back of my VW hatchback. Thankfully, most of the plants were 1 gallon plants, which are smaller, cheaper, and tend to acclimate better.

In the end, I got over two dozen plants, mostly Leucospermum, Hakea, Banksia, Isopogon, Grevillea.

As I was on my way out from the register, my wife pointed out that they actually had some Wollemi Pines, which we had seen at the Botanic Garden in Sydney a couple months back. I did not think there were any in the US yet, but apparently there are. And now one of them is in my yard - yay. For those of you unaware, it was thought that these were extinct, but some hikers discovered a tiny grove in the Blue Mountains (near Sydney) less than 20 years ago. There are less than 100 trees in the wild, so there is a movement to put them into cultivation. They vaguely resemble Araucarias, but with more fern-like leaves.

Hopefully everything will take (proteaceae are very finicky about transplanting, maybe 50% take after planting), and in a year or two I'll get even more awesome blooms.

[OverGrown]

Can you post some pics?! I'd like to see what some of them look like.

[Peter]

Nice list Justin-Jo has a great nursery and a lot of knowledge as well. Love that place.

[NakaB]

Nice Justin. Never heard of this nursery. Will have to check it out. I remember Bruce from Cycad Center in Fallbrook bringing a bunch in to this country. Not sure if they went on sale to the general public.

[BS Man about Palms]

Yeah, what Mike said. I think he has a few for sale....all the way in Fallbrook.

[fastfeat]

San Marcos Growers has a bunch of these in production. Look for them to hit retail outlets soon if they're not there already.

[Cycadcenter]

Yea, we imported several thousand Wollemi Pines about three years ago, we still have a couple of hundred left at the nursery and supplied them to Jo O'Connell at Australian Native Plants, Randy Baldwin at San Marcos Growers and Tony Advent at Plant Delights nursery. San Diego Botanical Gardens (Quail) has probably sold over 100 of them and Vista Botanical Gardens came and got some for their recent sale.

The ones growing at The Huntington and Lotusland we also supplied.

We also have about 100 field growing at our Childers property for future seed production.

Wollemi Pines at the Toolara propagation nursery in Queensland

[sick1166]

nice

[cencalpalmguy]

That looks just like the ones they sell in the Wal Mart parking lot in December.

[LJG]

As I was on my way out from the register, my wife pointed out that they actually had some Wollemi Pines, which we had seen at the Botanic Garden in Sydney a couple months back. I did not think there were any in the US yet, but apparently there are. And now one of them is in my yard - yay.

I find this plant hard to grow. I have had one for about three years thanks to my Dad that bought one from National Geographic.

[Peter]

Len, I've heard the Nat. Geographic plants are not as healthy as a lot of the others. Apparently they are from side cuttings and want to grow into a bush instead of a tree-don't know whether that's really true or not, but that's what I've heard. No such problem with Bruce's.

[Justin]

Can you post some pics?! I'd like to see what some of them look like.

I would, but they are about 4" (10 cm) tall right now, with no blooms, so they just look like weeds. But here are the plant names, which all should have images online somewhere:

Wollemia nobilis

Telopea speciosissima

Anigozanthos 'Royal Cheer'

Leucospermum praecox 'Patricia' (x2)

Banksia prionotes

Banksia coccinea

Hakea laurina

Protea repens (white variety)

Leucospermum 'Spider'

Banksia menziesii

Grevillea 'Scarlet Sprite'

Hakea elliptica

Banksia 'Giant Candles'

Isopogon cuneatus

Banksia ashbyi

Isopogon latifolius

Grevillea sericea

Dryandra quercifolia

Hakea bucculenta

Beaufortia sparsa

Leucospermum 'Vlam'

Grevillea lanigera 'Mt Tamboritha'

Doryanthes palmerii

Westringia fruticosa

Boronia 'Sharks Bay'

[trioderob]

I killed a Wollemi Pine by planting it at my brothers place in the mountains of new mexico.

I dont think they are that cold hardy.

and at the same time they may not like full blazing sun.

I would plant them in california in half day sun.

they do like organics.....

Edited April 2, 2010 by trioderob

[Cycadcenter]

The National Geographic plants came in through Canada and were the small plants grown in "Queensland Tree Pots" which are about 1.5" x 1.5" x 4" and are basicallt the propagation pots which the nursery used resulting in plants which were abt 4"-10" tall. The plants we bought over were two years older than these and planted in 1 liter containers which were fully rooted out.

As to the location of the cuttings all the cuttings were taken from the main leaders of the donor plant, the leaders were about 24" and then cut into 4-5" segments and then rooted out in misting tents. The lower cuttings were considered less desirable due to varying growth habits. Top cutting were grown separately and this is mainly what we purchased from the Propagation Nursery.

My "Ranch Hands" who spent a week washing and packaging plants ready for inspection and export.

Plants were individually packaged in moist vermiculite

Than packed in boxes ready for export

Bruce