Wittunga Botanic Gardens showcases water-wise plants from around the world, particularly South Africa and Australia, showing the differences and similarities between them.
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Sophie visits Wittunga Botanic Gardens, half an hour south of Adelaide, to explore the collections of water-wise plants that thrive in the harsh South Australian climate.
The 13-hectares were originally a private formal English-style garden, but after a fire in the 1930s, it was redesigned with Australian and South African water-wise plants. The garden was bequeathed to the state and turned into a botanic garden in 1975.
Horticultural supervisor Mark Oborn says the team at the garden aims to show the subtle differences and similarities between plants from Australia and South Africa, which were originally joined as part of the Gondwana supercontinent.
One area is planted to resemble the South African Fynbos – the diverse heathlands in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces. The soil is poor and the summers are hot and dry with almost no rainfall, but a range of tough heathland species has evolved to cope with the conditions. This includes many Erica species.
Many of the strappy plants that grow from rhizomes are cut right back to the ground after flowering, inducing a strong flush of new growth.
Plants receive deep watering during heat waves (consecutive days over 40oC).
Mark says the team is experimenting with sand mulch instead of wood-chip mulch, as sand allows more rain to penetrate through to the plants’ roots.
Mark’s tips for growing heathland plants:
Well-drained soil is crucial. They cannot be grown in constantly wet or waterlogged soils.
They don’t require additional feeding/fertilising if growing conditions are satisfactory. If a plant appears to not be thriving, use a low phosphorus native fertiliser in peak growing conditions.
Use a seaweed-based liquid fertiliser on younger plants in summer to help them get established.
In the no-irrigation beds, they hand water tube stock approximately six times during their first summer. They may hand water second-year plants once or twice if conditions are exceptionally dry.
Mulching is crucial to maintaining moisture levels.
Featured plants
Silver tree (Leucadendron argenteum)
Proteas (Protea cv.)
Bridal heath (Erica baurii)
Green heath (Erica sessiliflora)
Bi-coloured heath (Erica discolor)*
Red hot poker (Kniphofia uvaria)*
* Bi-coloured heath (Erica discolor) and Red hot poker (Kniphofia uvaria) are environmental weeds in some parts of Australia.
Gardening Australia suggests you consult your local authorities or go to Weeds in Australia to check the weed potential of any plants for your particular area.
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2 Comments
Lovely! 😍
1:10 I’m not good at listening English. Plz teach me anyone, What is this plant called 1:10