Late Autumn in Blackwood Forest Recreation Park

For over 60 years the 21 hectares of land now known as Blackwood Forest Recreation Park was the site of the Government Experimental Orchard, a function that was transferred to Lenswood some years ago.  Thousands of various varieties of fruit trees were grown and studied in the experimental orchard but when it was decommissioned most of the trees were ripped out.  Fortunately, the land which now lies in the suburb of Hawthorndene, was not sold for housing development but was retained as a Forest Reserve and a dedicated band of locals toil to preserve the park and return parts of it to its pre-experimental orchard flora.  Here's a couple of photos I took whilst wandering in the park today - autumn colours of a manchurian pear and a pistachio in the middle of the pine plantation on the eastern side of the Park.  Find out more at the Friends of Blackwood Forest Recreation Park website.

Tree Dahlia (Dahlia imperialis)

The tree dahlias this year are particularly spectacular.  In previous years there's been intermittent flowering from late autumn to early spring but the weather has been unseasonably warm over the past two weeks and this seems to have encouraged the tree dahlias into mass flowering with bees going crazy for all the pollen which is covering the ground and plants beneath.  Dahlia imperialis originates from Central America where the leaves were, apparently, used to supplement the diet in Guatemala.  They're grown from the stalk which can be cut into sections (with 2 nodes) at the end of winter.  The stalks can grow to 5 metres but are vulnerable to high winds so a sheltered aspect, such as next to a solid fence, shed or wall, is best.

Iris

Correa pulchella 'Pink Mist'

Correa pulchella (pulchella = beautiful) is a South Australian correa which has many forms and flower colour gradations.  Correa pulchella 'Pink Mist' was discovered in the wild on southern Yorke Peninsula and was registered in 1987 as a cultivar.  The shade of pink is described as "red group 48D" on the Royal Horticultural Society colour chart!  It's a compact shrub which eventually reaches 75cm high and a metre wide but it can be pruned to keep it smaller.  'Pink Mist' seems happy in moist well drained soils with partial shade but it's also drought hardy and will grow in full sun.  It will also grow in heavy shade although, in my experience, flower production suffers.

Correa alba var pannosa

This subspecies of Correa alba has an unusual flower for the Correa family.  Instead of the usual tubular flower formed from fused petals the flowers of Correa alba var pannosa open up as just 4 short petals which have a slight pink tinge to them (flowers of the parent species, Correa alba, are white in colour).

Correa alba var pannosa is a low growing correa, useful as a weed suppressing ground cover.  It has reddish hairs along its stems and a felt-like appearance to its leaves which give it a "salted" look.  It is often sold under the names "Pink Blush", "Western Pink Star" or "Western Star".

Plectranthus argentatus

Plectranthus is in the mint family and this species originates in rain forest in Queensland and New South Wales where it grows as an understory plant in shade.  It's an excellent plant to grow in dry shady areas in the garden because, once it's established, it's very drought hardy.  Plectranthus argentatus is also extremely easy to grow from cuttings.  Just poke a hole in soil, insert the cutting and give it some water when it's dry and more than likely it will grow.  The plant is mainly grown for its silver foliage but it has attractive racemes of white flowers in autumn which attract bees.  It's supposed to be frost sensitive but if it's under shade trees they protect it anyway.  After a few years' growth Plectranthus argentatus gets a little straggly and can be cut back quite hard - and you have plenty of cuttings to grow, give away or compost.

Acacia iteaphylla (Flinders Range Wattle)

Flinders Range Wattle is relatively common in suburban South Australia.  It generally grows as a shrub but I've also seen it growing as a small tree.  As it ages it tends to get straggly and some people plant it as a quick growing native which gets replaced by something "more permanent and more attractive" some time later although a botanist told me once that Flinders Range wattles can live up to 200 years.  They provide a source of pollen in autumn which is useful for birds, bees and butterflies and they're very drought hardy but probably die from overwatering.

Correa 'Dusky Bells'

Correa 'Dusky Bells' is one of many hybrids of Correa reflexa and Correa pulchella.  According to the Australian Cultivar Registration Authority, it has had a number of names such as Correa sp. (pink), Correa 'Rubra', Correa 'Carmine Bells' and Correa 'Pink Bells' and the name Correa 'Dusky Bells' was originally applied to another Correa reflexa cultivar.  Correa 'Dusky Bells' grows up to a metre high and spreads up to 4 metres but it can be pruned to smaller dimensions.  It flowers in autumn and winter and seems to do best in a partly shady spot (as this one is in).  It's drought and frost hardy and attractive to honeyeaters.  There's also a variety with variegated leaves which is usually sold as Correa 'Wins' Wonder'.

Hibiscus

Hibiscus is part of the mallow family (the flowers are similar to those of marshmallows) but I didn't realise how widely used various species of hibiscus are around the world until I read the Hibiscus article on Wikipedia.  The flowers are attractive to birds, bees and butterflies, the leaves of some species can be used for making tisanes (and the brew has some antioxidant properties), some species have edible leaves and one species is chiefly used for making paper amongst other uses.

Correa ''Jezabell''

This is a named cultivar (and PBR variety) Correa (C.'Candy Pink' x C.pulchella) with intense lipstick pink flowers.  This is a young plant but it already has a number of flowers coming so I expect it will be quite showy when fully grown and in full bloom. Like most correas, "Jezabell" flowers in autumn and winter so it should be a nectar source for honeyeaters.  Apparently Correa "Jezabell" can grow to about 75cm high and wide but it probably benefits from pruning after flowering.