Flora

Plant of the Month: Greenhood Orchid (Pterostylis nutans)

During winter and spring, these low green orchids, endemic to Eastern Australia, emerge from the ground in great numbers in moist, protected forest environments. The flowers “nod” or lean forwards strongly and occur singly on a stem arising from a rosette... read more

Tubestock Planting Demo

In this video, we discuss the tips and tricks for planting tubestock and seeing them survive and... read more

When To Apply Herbicides

Time the application of herbicides to achieve maximum effectiveness. The right time to apply systemic poisons is when water and sugars are being rapidly moved (translocated) around the plant (usually spring and summer). Herbicides are likely to be less effective on... read more

Plant of the Month: Forest Red Gum

Plant of the Month: Forest Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis) Munumba (Worimi) Buringoa (D’harawal) A magnificent tall tree to 50 metres, the Forest Red Gum is found along the east coast of Australia from Gippsland in Victoria to Papua New Guinea. In the Hunter... read more

Identifying Natives vs Weeds

Build Your Own Backyard Habitat

Blue Grass Vs Red Grass Identification

Learn about Galls

Blue grass vs Red Grass ID

Plant Recognition Notes: Blue Grass-Red Grass Blue Grasses (Dichanthium sericium, Dichanthium setosum): Clumping Grass to 1m, common in the Mid and Upper Hunter, often bluish, “hairy “skirt” on the nodes, spikelets come out from a central position (digitate).... read more

Plants of the Box Gum Grassy Woodlands

This vegetation community is listed as an Ecologically Endangered Community because of the flora and fauna this community supports, including the species of White Box, Yellow Box, and Blakely’s Gum.

Birds of the Box Gum Grassy Woodlands

Box Gum Grassy Woodlands are a feature of Eastern Australian landscapes. Look at and listen to birds from this environment.

Emerging Weed: Groundsel Bush

Groundsel bush is reputed to be poisonous to livestock although it seldom causes a problem because they rarely eat enough. However, livestock will lose condition rapidly if forced to graze it.

Reflection: Weeds Conference

Weeds continue to be a big problem for NSW- What are the strategies, research and new products being developed? Are we effectively putting the ‘We’ in weeds across tenure?

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?

Tubestock Planting Guide

This planting guide is drawn from internet sources and personal experience in Landcare.

Gumnuts of the Upper Hunter

Bark types and gumnuts (or “fruit”) are a handy way of determining which group a Eucalypt belongs to.

Eucalypt Bark Types

Just as their fruits (gumnuts) can help us figure out which Eucalypt is which so can their bark, these are some commonly seen in the Upper Hunter.

Goodness, Gracious Great Balls of… umm… Seed.

Seed balls are a fairly simple way of getting seed into an area to germinate after a good rain event.

A non-chemical approach to weed control – A Sweet End to Weeds

A non-chemical approach to weed control A Sweet end to Weeds Sugar has the potential to control annual weeds according to recent research trials conducted by researchers from Charles Sturt University. Trials on a private property “Windermere”, and a travelling stock... read more

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