KNOWLEDGE
Sharing plant knowledge is our pleasure.
We can’t stop talking about nature, and one of our favourite things is sharing in-depth plant knowledge. Here’s a selection of species we love to plant on the Sunshine Coast.
Monstera
Monstera deliciosa
An abundant and rambling vine, Monsteras are well known for their large glossy heart-shaped leaves that become perforated throughout as they mature. We love the deep green colouring that these retro style plants provide, which thrive in dappled light and look great in a warm, shady corner surrounded by contrasting textures. They are a perfect lower level plant that takes advantage of any opportunity to climb.
Johnsons Grass Tree
Xanthorrhoea johnsonii
Johnson’s Grass Trees are distinctive Australian natives, highly recognisable for their thick blackened trunks topped with a dense tuft of long grassy foliage. Although known to grow to around 5 metres in height, they do take a long time to get there, needing many decades to reach full maturity. The best environment for a Johnsons Grass Tree is neutral, well-drained and aerated soil in a sunny spot, and they clearly deserve to be planted as a beautiful stand-alone feature.
White Winner
Anthurium andraeanum
White Anthuriums are simple and elegant flowering plants that grow up to about half a metre in height, and slightly less in width. The spathes they produce are bright white, and heart shaped to match the plant’s fleshy leaves. They sit quite high and upright within the plant foliage with coloured central inflorescence (spadix) to provide another level of interest. Anthuriums are lovers of shade and/or filtered light, so are great for lush underplanting.
Australian Tree Fern
Cyathea cooperi
With lacy, airy fronds reaching from a furry brown trunk, Australian Tree Ferns bring a showy presence and rainforest feel to a garden. They are easy to grow, thriving in mild winter temperatures and throughout other seasons in dappled sunlight with plenty of moisture - they love water! These ferns have a wide arching span that creates a beautiful canopy, and can grow from 5 metres to 10 metres in height. The unfurling fronds are especially beautiful to watch as they open up, change and mature.
Hot Rio Nights
Heliconia bihai x Caribaea
Hot Rio Nights are tall clumping plants that are truly tropical. They are an impressive Heliconia species, growing up to about 4 metres in height, and their bright red glossy flowers (bracts) can reach half a metre in length. Hot Rios have huge lush green foliage, absolutely ideal for a screening plant that is striking yet somehow understated at the same time. They like shelter from the wind, and are able to grow in full sun to part shade in soil that is moist and well drained.
Elephant Ear
Alocasia macrorrhiza
Elephant Ear is a very apt description for these plants, as they showcase huge, dramatic and magical looking leaves with prominent veins that look spectacular with the sun shining through them. Lush and vibrant, these leaves can reach up to half a metre wide and over one metre in length. Their strong textural foliage makes a great complementary contrast in a garden, also providing shade for low-lying plants. Best out of the full midday sun and protected from the wind, they can reach up to a few metres tall, and sometimes higher.
Congo Apple
Philodendron erubescens
We love Congo Apples for their versatility as well as their simple beauty. This Philodendron is an upright plant, compact with thick, glossy oval shaped leaves that open bright green and age to an emerald. With a maximum height of just over metre, by about half a metre in width, as long as they are relatively warm and not in direct strong sunlight, they’re happy with not too much water, and make a beautiful mass-planted and/or understory plant that is relatively low maintenance.
Blue Cane Palm
Dypsis cabadae
One of our favourite palms because of its stand out texture and great behaviour, Blue Canes offer vibrant green foliage that at times in the right position, gives off a blue to aqua hue. These palms can grow to around 4 metres, so are a smaller variety than many. As their clumping habit is relatively low, they do look great underplanted with contrasting textures and colours to offset their white trunk rings. They are super low maintenance, as is typical of many palms, and love part shade with rich soil. A great shade provider.
Weeping Lilly Pilly
Syzgium floribunda
Screening trees don’t get much better than Weeping Lilly Pillies, a versatile tree that bushes and gently weeps, and offers soft new rusty pink foliage that matures to a soft green. Happy to be pruned, hedged and shaped as needed, its fluffy white flowers add to the attraction, along with a fast growth rate of up to 8 metres or so in height - perfect for hedging and privacy. Full sun and moist soil whilst establishing is preferred, and these lush beauties are also a great choice as a feature tree.
Lemon Myrtle
Backhousia citriodora
Lemon Myrtles are primarily known for their aromatic leaves and gorgeous cream white flowerheads. As well as providing great bush food, these hugely versatile natives also provide a wide range of options in terms of landscaping - they can be left to grow to their natural heights of up to 20 metres, or are just as comfortable being retained to a smaller tree or shrub. Happy in moist, well drained soil, the foliage of Lemon Myrtles grow best in rich organic soil and takes on a soft glow in afternoon shade.