Episode: Ten
Air Date: 1st November 2008
Presenter: Nigel Ruck
Story Title: Famous around the World

For Australian plants to survive in droughts, they need to be tough. Nigel showcases a range of beautiful and really tough, Australian plants that are becoming popular in many other countries around the world.

Featured Plants

Cassa Blue

• Stunning Blue Flowers and Foliage
• Compact rich blue foliage with a far superior display compared to most Dianellas.
• Foliage grows to approximately 50cm in height with a spread of approximately 40cm.
• Colour contrasting plant. Mass planting, accent plant, foliage or grassy gardens. Low water requirement gardens.
• Tolerates a wide range of soils and climatic conditions.
• Suited to full sun as well as partially shaded positions.
• Hardy with excellent cold, heat, frost and drought tolerance.

Little Jess

•  Compact, clumping ornamental plant similar in habit to a dwarf, non-invasive bamboo.
• Glossy green foliage to approximately 40cm, with elevated bluish-purple flowers in Spring, followed by attractive purple berries.
•  Plant in well mulched garden. Fertilise with slow release once a year in spring. Trim if required every 8 years to remove older leaves.
• Tolerates a wide range of soils and climatic requirements. Suited to full sun, as well as shady positions. Very hardy, exhibiting excellent drought and frost tolerance. Little Jess is even more drought tolerant than Breeze and other Dianella caeruleas.
•  Mass planting, Japanese style gardens, accent plant, foliage or grassy gardens. Low water requirement gardens, roadsides etc.
•  An estimated trimming once every 8 years, makes this one of the lowest maintenance plants there is. 'Little Jess' has very short compact canes which will not fall over like the common Dianella caerulea which generally has long canes.
• Little Jess has the lowest maintenance of any Dianella caerulea. In rich soils, well watered gardens and fertilised gardens. Little Jess may grow faster, and may need trimming more often, e.g. every 5 years.

Little Rev

• Compact, blue clump forming plant with excellent foliage contrast all year. Growing 30-40cm tall by 30cm wide.
• Mass planting, accent plant, borders, foliage contrast and low water requirement gardens.
• Tolerates a wide range of soils and climatic requirements. Suited to full sun, as well as shady positions.
• Very hardy, exhibiting frost and drought tolerance. Avoid wet feet in humid areas.
• Plant in a well mulched garden. Fertilise with a slow release fertiliser once a year in spring. Trim if required to remove older leaves.
• Dianella Little Rev is providing landscape architects, designers, councils & landscapers with a plant that has excellent appearance and a unique look, with its brilliant blue upright foliage. This is a very hardy plant that will require little maintenance once established.

Lomandra Tanika

• An improved compact fine leaf form of the popular Lomandra longifolia. This attractive deep green selection provides a graceful versatile plant. It has an attractive yellow flower head early in Spring.
• Grows well in full sun and moderate to heavy shaded positions. Tolerates windy and salt laden positions.
• Lives off natural rainfall in most of the populated areas of Australia. For desert inland type areas occasional watering may be required for humid areas such as Brisbane and Sydney.
• In raised or flat areas, it does well in sand to clay soils. In depressed areas such as gullies, it is better to use free draining soils. It is best to avoid areas that get prolonged wet feet in summer.
• Do not bury the crown of the plant when planting. Good for hot dry or humid areas and heavy frost cold areas.
• Water as required to keep the plant healthy for the first 8 to 13 weeks. After this irrigation is optional for most populated areas of Australia, other than particularly dry inland regions and Perth in times of extreme drought.
• If irrigation is used, set it so the soils have time to dry out between watering. Do not excessively irrigate making the soil wet for prolonged periods.
• Trimming is rarely required, but if needed, trim using a sharp implement to 15cm above the ground. Avoid trimming in drought conditions, or in the middle of summer.
• Fertiliser is rarely required, but in ornamental gardens if a darker green is desired, fertilise with any good balanced slow release fertiliser, preferably in Spring or Autumn.
• Tanika grows to a height of 50-60cm with a spread of 65cm wide.
• Tanika has proven to be one of the toughest, most reliable landscape plants over the last couple of years.

Contact

Ozbreed
PO Box 1011, Richmond NSW 2753
Phone: 02 4578 0866
Fax: 02 4578 0855
Email: info@ozbreed.com.au