Old Man Saltbush, also known as Bluegreen or Giant Saltbush is a versatile plant and great Bush Food. Adapted to arid conditions with saline soils, Saltbush is native to most parts of Australia. The United Nations Carbon Emission Trading Scheme has identified Old Man Saltbush as assisting with the reduction of greenhouse warming.
Indigenous Australians have traditionally utilised the seeds and leaves of Saltbush, which are collected and ground and used in damper and to flavour foods. The leaves were also sometimes eaten fresh or added to meat as it cooked. This dried and ground Old Man Saltbush leaf has been wild-harvested in South Australia, where it grows pesticide-free. It has a soft, salty flavour – slightly earthy – and can be used as a direct substitute for salt as a seasoning or condiment.
Old Man Saltbush grows from seeds or cuttings. Soak the seeds overnight and plant them in trays or pots filled with seed-raising mix. Water regularly to keep the soil moist and be patient, as germination can take up to 4-6 weeks.
Alternatively, take semi-hardwood cuttings 8-10cm long and insert the base into a propagating mix, ie. a mix of potting mix and sand. Position in a warm spot and water regularly to keep soil moist.
Once established, Old Man Saltbush is drought tolerant. However, it will benefit from an aoccasional deep watering during hot, dry spells. Feed in spring with a slow-release native feritliser if needed.
Note: The term 'Bush Tucker' and 'Bush Food' are not Warndu's preferred terms for Australian Native Ingredients or Australian Botanicals.
Images: © Luisa Brimble
]]>Introducing our long-awaited Warndu Bush Botanicals, Australian Native - Pink and White Everlastings!
◎ Common Name: Pink and White Everlastings, Everlasting Daisy
◎ Botanical Name: Rhodanthe Chlorocephala Ssp Rosea
◎ Seasonality: All year fresh
◎ Region: The Everlasting is a native to Western Australia, growing predominantly on sandy soils in the semi-arid region of the south of Western Australia.
◎ How to grow:
Not only are they one of the easiest native flowers to grow and maintain, but they're also the quickest, with an extremely long flowering period. These self-seeding annuals will flower for up to 3 months after the germination period with a germination rate of 100%. These pink and white flowers are also hardy and adaptable, suitable for soil that's well-drained and sandy. They can still tolerate and grow in the shade and heavy clay soils but will result in a smaller and spindlier flowering. Avoid heavy clay soils and shade for best results.
© Photo courtesty of Visit Perenjori
]]>Swan River Daisy is a colourful and vibrant annual plant that is easily grown in most parts of Australia.
A low growing Australian native annual daisy that provides a spectacular burst of colour through spring, attracting bees and butterflies. It has branched stems and highly-divided leaves and daisy flowers. It is a popular and easily-grown garden plant for bedding, courtyards, playgrounds, flower gardens, borders, rockeries, pots and hanging baskets.
◎ Common Name: Swan river daisies
◎ Botanical Name: Brachyscome iberidifolia
◎ Seasonality: All year fresh
◎ Region: Swan River Daisies are found in the wild in WA, SA and southern NT in a variety of habitats: in sandy or clay soils, on sand-hills and plains, along watercourses, on swampy ground, on chalky hills and among granite outcrops.
◎ How to grow:
They are moderately frost-hardy and can be grown easily in most areas of Australia. In the wild the Swan River Daisies usually flowers in late winter and spring but, in cultivation, it commonly flowers in spring and summer and intermittently at other times of the year. If sown in spring, flowering may extend into summer and autumn.
Plant the seeds in Autumn and keep the plants growing through Winter in warmer climates as this will bring a better display in spring. Trim off the spent flowers after the first spring flush to encourage repeat flowering in late spring and summer. Feed generously with a good fertilizer like Seasol to get the plants reaching their full flowering potential.
© Photo courtesty of Sally Page of Gingin, Western Australia.
]]>Strawflowers resemble daisies in form with a ray of petals around a central disk, but unlike daisies, the petals are stiff and papery. In fact, they aren’t true petals at all, but modified leaves called bracts. The narrow green leaves and sturdy stems are covered in fine hairs.
◎ Common Name: Strawflower, golden everlasting, mixed strawflowers
◎ Botanical Name: Xerochrysum bracteatum
◎ Seasonality: All year fresh
◎ Region: Hailing from tough areas in Australia, they can occasionally be found growing in very dry areas, sometimes even in pure sand.
◎ How to grow:
© Photo courtesty of Peter Krumhardt
]]>Wonderful for attracting bees and butterflies, Billy Button’s unique golden globes of tall and stout stalk flower from Spring to Summer.
]]>Wonderful for attracting bees and butterflies, Billy Button’s unique golden globes of tall and stout stalk flower from Spring to Summer.
Decorative, unique and easy to grow. As part of the daisy family, you won't find another flower quite like the Billy Buttons Craspedia. The Billy Buttons plant forms a rosette of leaves and yellow spherical flower heads that resemble small tennis balls.
Billy Buttons Craspedia is also disease resistant. It can be used as a decorative plant near borders, planted it in pots and window boxes. The Billy Buttons is a nice cut flower and makes a statement in vases and bouquets.
◎ Common Name: Billy button seeds, Drumsticks, Woollyheads, Craspedia
◎ Botanical Name: Craspedia variabilis
◎ Seasonality: All year fresh
◎ Region: Found in a wide variety of habitats but never alpine. In Western Australia it grows on seasonally wet flats, granite outcrops, slopes and in the Sydney region its distribution is described as "widespread in open forests and grassland".
◎ How to grow:
Billy buttons can be propagated from seed and grown in full sun. It grows in any soil provided that it is not too wet. It can be treated as an annual and used effectively as a single specimen or as a massed bedding plant.
The blooms are superb as a meadow flower, fresh-cut flowers and for drying. They are drought tolerant but performs best on moist and well-drained soil, in sun to part shade.
Frost hardy, Billy Buttons is low maintenance and can be used in coastal gardens, courtyards, container/planters, cottage-style gardens, flower gardens, cold climates and heavy soils. They will grow to around 90cm and can be grown in clay, loamy, sandy loam, clay loam, and potting mix.
© Photo courtesy of Seed Corner.
]]>◎ Common Name: Native Wisteria or Native Sarsaparilla
◎ Botanical Name: Hardenbergia comptoniana
◎ Seasonality: Flowers from Spring to Autumn.
◎ Region: Southeastern Queensland and Northeastern NSW, original sample was from Richmond River.
◎ Sow: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter
◎ How to grow/Instructions:
Sow in warm areas anytime. In frost prone areas after danger of frost is over. Place seeds in a cup of hot water. It is beneficial to add Wildflower Seed Starter granules. Leave overnight then drain and sow. Fill small pots or trays with moist sandy soil and compress. Sow 2-3 seeds 6mm (¼in) deep in each pot. Keep moist. Cover with clear polythene – remove when germination commences. Place in warm shaded position to germinate fully. Thin out to the best seedlings in each pot. Plant in permanent position when about 10cm (4in) high. Water in well and regularly until established. May take 1+ years before flowering.
]]>
◎ Common Name: Sturt Pea
◎ Botanical name: Swainsona formosa
◎ Plant Height: 1-1.2m
◎ Flowering: Flowers throughout the year.
◎ Sow: Late Winter to Summer
◎ How to grow/Instructions: Plant them in a frost-free position with excellent drainage, either in a container or sandy garden bed. Soak seeds in a cup of hot water. Leave overnight then drain and sow the now swollen seeds. Leave any un-swollen seeds until they swell or lightly nick them with a sharp knife on the side opposite the eye, then soak until swollen.
Using small pots (or peat pots) sow 2 or 3 seeds 6mm deep in each pot. Keep moist. Place in a warm shaded position to germinate. When a seedling appears or a tap root appears at the base of the pot, set out in sunny position.
Water in well and regularly until established. Water weekly in dry weather. Use light application of low phosphate organic fertiliser. Protect from snails and slugs.
◎ Common Name: Paper Daisies
◎ Botanical Name: Xerochrysum bracteatum
◎ Seasonality: All year fresh
◎ Region: Arid Paper daisy seeds are native to Western Australia, as you drive the long expansive roads of WA you will see masses of them in the countryside in spring.
◎ How to grow/Instructions:
Paper daisies are best grown with direct sowing in autumn as the soil cools down. Plants will grow slowly through the winter months, developing a strong root system and flower in spring. Use good quality potting or soil mix (they also love sandy soil). The soil must be free of weeds. The best thing about these flowers is they will last in a vase for so long and dry out beautifully for everlasting bunches.
© Angela Lumsden/Stocksy/Adobe Stock
William Dampier collected the first Australian daisy, a Brachyscome, in 1699 from Shark Bay in Western Australia. Many Australian daisies were introduced into cultivation in Europe before the middle of the 19th century and they were very popular in the colony from the 1860s until the turn of the century. Xerochrysum bracteatum is believed to be the first cultivated Australian Daisy and the first of our native plants to be hybridised.
]]>◎ Common Name: Kangaroo Paw
◎ Botanical name: Anigozanthosflavidus
◎ Plant Height: 2m
◎ Flowering: Flowers throughout the year.
◎ Sow: Spring, Summer in Southern regions and Spring, Summer Autumn, Winter
◎ How to grow/Instructions: Sow in warm areas anytime. In frost areas when danger of frost is over. Fill pots or seed tray with moist sandy soil and compress. Sow seeds thinly on the surface and cover with soil mix to the thickness of the seeds. It is beneficial to add Wildflower Seed Starter granules to soil surface. Keep moist.
Cover with clear polythene – remove when germination starts. Place in warm shady position to germinate fully. Transplant seedlings to individual containers when large enough to handle. Keep watered and plant out to permanent position when about 8cm (3in) high. Water regularly around roots until established, then weekly in dry weather. Use light applications of low phosphate slow release organic fertiliser. Cut plants back once they finish flowering and water the base of plants only.
Consider using a Wildflower Seed Starter Granules for improved germination rates and speed. These granules provide chemicals normally found in bushfire smoke that stimulate native seed germination.
]]>These paper daisy seeds are native to Western Australia, as you drive the long expansive roads of WA you will see masses of them in the countryside in spring.
William Dampier collected the first Australian daisy, a Brachyscome, in 1699 from Shark Bay in Western Australia. Many Australian daisies were introduced into cultivation in Europe before the middle of the 19th century and they were very popular in the colony from the 1860s until the turn of the century.
Xerochrysum bracteatum is believed to be the first cultivated Australian Daisy and the first of our native plants to be hybridised.
Paper daisies are best grown with direct sowing in autumn as the soil cools down. Plants will grow slowly through the winter months, developing a strong root system and flower in spring. Use good quality potting or soil mix (they also love sandy soil). The soil must be free of weeds. The best thing about these flowers is they will last in a vase for so long and dry out beautifully for everlasting bunches.