Plant Nerd

Good plant: Bad plant

I had a question the other day about how to tell the difference between an African Olive (Olea europea ssp cuspidata) and Mock Olive (Notelaea microcarpa), having spent quite a bit of time killing the former and trying not to kill the latter I work with the following... read more

Ask a Plant Nerd: By Gum, Where Did That Come From?

In answer to a question from our chair, Les Pearson, wanting to know how the gum tree got here and why it dominates this part of the world- Let me take you back to the 19th Century when plant and animal collectors from Europe went all over the world collecting both... read more

A Plant Nerd Answers: Processionary Caterpillar

The caterpillars nest in, on, or at the base of various trees leaving them to bury themselves in the ground and pupate.

A Plant Nerd Answers: How to ID a Gum Tree

One of the first things we look at when identifying a Eucalypt (or close relative Angophora or Corymbia) is the bark, is it smooth? Rough, Stringy, Hard? Soft?