GardenHighlights,August2016

Friendsof GeelongBotanicGardens

www.friendsgbg.org.auPhone:52226053

Overpage:Mapshowingtheseplants

Thismonthwecelebratethewinterevergreentrees.1.MostConifersareevergreen,despitesomelivinginthecoldestpartsoftheworld.ThemostnortherlytreesareDahurianLarchLarixgmelinii,inthepinefamily,growingeasternSiberia.ThesegardenshavemanyConifers,bothAustralianandintroduced.Thesurroundingpark(EasternPark)ismainlyaPinetum,growingmanyadditionalspeciesofconifers(Pines,Cedars,Yews,Cypresses,Junipers,etc.).Thenorthernconiferforestsaretheworld’slargestforestsandthelargesttreesaretheConiferstheGiantRedwoodSequoiadendrongiganteum,ofwhichthereare2examplesinthesegardens.Thereisasaplingplantedin2002andatreeplanted143yearsago,about25mtallandwithagirthofmorethan6m,theprobablythelargesttreeinthesegardens.2.InSouthEasternAustraliamostindigenoustreesareevergreen.Thisdoesnotmeantheydon’tshedtheirleaves.ManydroptheirleavestocoincidewiththeonsetofhotdryweatherinDecemberandslowtheirgrowthuntilthearrivalofwinterrain.Inthemoistforestsalongthecoasttothenorthmanytreesarealsoevergreen.AnexampleistheBlackBeanCastanospermumaustrale,whoselargebeanpodsarehangingfromthebranches.3.AllPalmsareevergreen.Mostarefromwarmrainforestwithafewlivingindryenvironmentswithadequateundergroundwater.ThereisonlyoneNewZealandpalm,despitetherebeing38speciesinNewCaledonia,thenorthernpartofthesubmergedcontinentZealandia.Similarly,Australiahasfewspeciesofpalmforitsarea,withonlyabout60.ThesouthernmostpalmisNewZealand’sFeatherDusterPalmorNikauRhopalostylissapida,whichreaches44°SontheChathamIslandswhereanoceanicclimateprevails.4.ManyFigsgrowintropicalandsub-tropicalmoistforestsandsoareevergreen.However,therearedeciduousfigsthatlosetheirleaves,includingtheCommonFigFicuscarica,thatweeat.Ofthe11speciesoffigs(plussomevarieties)inthesegardens,allareevergreenandtheMoretonBayFigFicusmacrophyllaisthelargest.Whyisthereabridgeorboard-walkaroundpartofthislargefig?Figsaretheonlyplantwithflowersgrowinginsideacontainer-thefig‘fruit’.What’soninAugust2016DiscoveryWalk:‘Spiceupyourday',Sunday14August2:00pm.Goldcoindonation.DiscoveryTable,Sunday21August1:00-3:00pm.TheFriends’NurseryisopenonWednesdays9:30am-12:30pm.Conifers,Palms,MortonBayFigandBlackBeanmaybeavailable.FreeGuidedWalks,eachSunday2:00pm.WednesdaywalksresumeinSeptember.TheCuriosityCabinethasaJapaneseTeaGardendisplay.TheTeaHouseisopeneveryday.

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