Australian Natives II BHT225

Develop your expertise in Australian plants! This course deals with both woody (hard wooded) and herbaceous (soft wooded), low growing Australian Native Plants, which bear showy flowers. The focus is on small shrubs and ground covers.

Comment from one of our Australian Natives II students:
"The plant recognition assignments were challenging and a great help for the future" D. Sydenham

Develop your ability to identify, select, cultivate and explain commercial applications for appropriate varieties of low growing Australian native flowering plants in a variety of situations.

Course Content There are 8 lessons as outlined below:

1. Introduction - Review of the system of plant identification, general characteristics of the group, information contacts (ie: nurseries, seed, clubs, etc.)
2. Growing Conditions - Planting, staking, mulching, watering, pest & disease, feeding, pruning, propagation, protection from wind, salt air, environmental zones, etc.
3. The Heaths and similar plants - Myrtaceae family, etc. Thryptomene, Bauera, Astartea, Grevilleas, Telopea, Leptospermum, etc.
4. The Daisy Family - identification and growing needs Helichrysum, Helipterum, Celmisia, Brachyscome, Olearia, etc.
5. The Legumes - Fabaceae, Mimosaceae and Caesalpinaceae families. Kennedya, Pultenaea, Acacia, etc.
6. Other common groups - Boronia, Crowea, Clematis, Viola, etc.
7. The Monocots - grasses, native irises, Anigozanthus, Xanthorrhea, etc.
8. Commercial Applications

Aims

• Distinguish between different types of native wildflowers.
• Determine reliable information about the identification and culture of Australian wildflowers.
• Specify general cultural practices, including propagation, for different families of Australian native wildflowers.
• Explain the characteristics, including identification and culture, of heath like native wildflowers; with reference to both proteaceous and myrtaceous plants.
• Explain the characteristics, including their identification, culture and use, of wildflowers in the Asteraceae (ie. Daisy) family.
• Explain the characteristics, including identification, culture and use, of different legume wildflower genera.
• Explain the characteristics, including identification, culture and use, of different Australian native monocotyledons (ie. narrow-leaved plants).
• Prepare a planting design featuring Australian wildflowers.
• Develop a cut flower production plan, for a selected Australian wildflower.

What does the Course cover

• Distinguish, using illustrations and minimum but adequate comments, between twenty different plant families within which Australian native wildflowers are commonly found, including the following: Asteraceae, Caesalpiniaceae, Dilleniaceae, Epacridaceae, Ericaceae, Fabaceae, Poaceae, Haemodoraceae, Iridaceae, Lamiaceae, Liliaceae, Mimosaceae, Myrtaceae, Orchidaceae, Proteaceae, Rutaceae and Thymelaceae.
• Prepare a collection of fifty pressed wildflower specimens (or illustrations), not collected elsewhere with information included on culture and use.
• Compile a resource file of sources of information on native wildflowers.
• Develop criteria for distinguishing the accuracy of information, relating to native wildflowers.
• Determine four reliable sources, of accurately named Australian plant material, including both seed and plants.
• Develop a procedure for researching cultural information on an unfamiliar species of Australian wildflower, listing specific information sources in order of importance.
• Explain two different ways to plant each of three, different specified wildflower plants
• Compare the use of four different types of mulch, around specified wildflowers.
• Explain appropriate techniques for watering wildflowers, in a specified garden.
• Compare the pruning of two specified wildflowers, from two different taxonom