AUSTRALIAN NATIVE TREES VHT115

Develop your ability to select and cultivate appropriate varieties of Australian Native Trees different situations.

Plant Identification is a cornerstone of this course. In addition to the topics outlined below, every lesson also involves reviewing a range of different native trees. Your reviews are then commented on by expert tutors. On completing this course, most students have greatly increased the range and number of native trees which they can identify and describe.  Beyond this, the content of each of the eight lessons is as outlined below:

Extract from the Course Notes:

Rainforest Trees

There are three major types of rainforest in Australia, each supporting  different types of trees.  Tropical rainforests are only found in northern Queensland, and most closely approximate the 'jungle' habitat found in many tropical overseas regions. Sub tropical rainforests are distributed from northern NSW into Queensland, whilst cool temperate rainforests occur at higher altitudes in Tasmania, Victoria and NSW. 

Rainforests only occur in scattered pockets, with rainfall, topography and soils being the main influences in their occurrence.  They are characterised by their diversity and complexity; well developed tree canopies support a myriad of life forms.

Although opinions amongst experts varies considerably, Eucalypt trees are generally considered not to grow in true rainforests (there is considerable debate in this area, for example some taxonomists classify species such as E.grandis, Flooded Gum, as occurring in rainforests).  Typically, rainforest trees have lush, glossy foliage, broad canopies, large trunks, and buttressed roots.  There are many exceptions to this type of growth though.
Notable rainforest trees include: 

• Toona australis   Red Cedar
• Stenocarpus sinuatus   Firewheel Tree
• Acmena smithii   Lilly pilly
• Brachychiton acerifolius   Flame Tree
• Buckinghamia celsissima
• Castonospermum australe   Black Bean
• Diplogittis australis   Native Tamarind
• Ficus macrophylla   Moreton Bay Fig
• Grevillea robusta   Silky Oak
• Macadamia tetraphylla
• Melia azeradach   White Cedar

The rainforest is seen as one of the ultimate environments to duplicate in the garden for a private retreat.  It can be a home for many wild animals or a place for food.  It is easily "constructed" provided a few requirements are met to satisfy plant growth.  Protection from direct sunlight and strong wind and an abundant supply of mulch or leaf matter are three of the most important necessities for the establishment of a rainforest.  Understandably, if you already have a shaded site it makes your rainforest garden one step closer to completion.

There are many misconceptions about rainforests and the suitability of the plants that grow for domestic purposes. Let us look at some of them:

• Rainforest trees grow too large for gardens   in the rainforest many trees will grow to heights exceeding 20 metres because they have to fight and grow to the light.  In garden situations there is more light available and consequently many of the same trees will only grow to about half their rainforest height.
• Full shade is essential for rainforest development   many rainforest trees will grow in full sun and others may require some shade while young. As a result of more sunlight these trees become more rounded with fuller canopies.  Understorey plants however require more shade than trees.
• A large area is required to develop a rainforest   many people have successfully developed miniature rainforests in a 10 m x 10 m area.  The larger the area available the better the ecosystem can be developed.  However, the larger the area the more plant numbers will be needed to fill in the area.
• Perfectly drained deep volcanic soil is needed   once again this is a major misconception.  Provided a bit of extra pre plant preparation is performed, any soil can be made suitable for a rainforest garden.  The better your soil is to begin with, the easier and quicker will be your established rainforest.
• High rainfall is essential for a rainforest   with adequate compost or leaflitter, water is retained better in the soil therefore less hosing will be required.  With a dense canopy evaporation is reduced therefore the need for extra water is not present.
• Only North Queensland has rainforests   there are about six main rainforest systems throughout Australia from the tip of Queensland to the mountains of Tasmania.
• They are difficult to grow   many rainforest plants are extremely easy to grow, so much so that many are used as indoor plants (eg. Castanospermum australe) and others have been available throughout nurseries for decades (eg. Archontophoenix alexandrae).

Lesson Structure

There are 8 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction
   • Review of the system of plant identification
   • Genus, Species
   • Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons
   • Characteristics of main Australian Plant Families
   • General characteristics of native trees
   • Information contacts (ie: nurseries, seed, clubs, etc.)
   • History of nomenclature
   • International Code
   • Ranks of Taxa
   • Principle of priority
   • Selection and spelling of plant names
   • Changing names
   • Hybrids
2. Culture
   • Planting Procedure
   • Planting on slopes
   • Fertilizer
   • Time of planting
   • Staking
   • Mulching
   • Pruning native trees
   • Steps in removing a branch from a tree
   • Soils (Physical, chemical, biological structure)
   • Soil profile
   • Improving soil profile
   • Colloids
   • Water and air
   • Soil temperature
   • Soil life
   • Soil Problems (Loss of soil fertility, Erosion, Salinity, Soil compaction, Soil acidification, Build up of dangerous chemicals)
   • Improving soils (soil additives etc)
   • Limestone Underlay Technique
   • Fertilisers
   • Fertilising established trees
   • Plant Nutrition
   • Water Problems
   • Drainage
3. Choosing the right propagating technique
   • Seed
   • Seed sources
   • Hybrid seed production
   • Storing seed
   • Difficult seeds
   • Dormancy facftors
   • Maintaining genetic identity
   • Propagating Media
   • Propagating Eucalypts
   • Propagating Acacias
   • Cuttings
   • Improving curtting success rates
   • Grafting
   • Top graft
   • Whip & Tongue graft
   • Irrigated graft
   • Grafting selected plants … Eucalypts, Grevilleas, Banksias, Hakeas\
   • After care of seed and cuttings
   • Transplanting (seedlings, cuttings)
   • Potting up plants and Growing on
4. Most Commonly Grown Varieties
   • Review dozens of relevant genera
   • Allocasuarina
   • Casuarina
   • Melia
   • Pittosporum
   • Acacia
5. More About Important Groups
   • Eucalyptus
   • Banksia
   • Brachychiton
   • Grevillea
   • Diagnosing Tree Problems
   • Tree Surgery Techniques
6. Other Varieties
   • Rainforest Trees
   • Constructing a Rainforest
   • Acmena
   • Eugenia
   • Mallotus
   • Melicope (Euodia)
   • Neolitsia
   • Nothofagus
   • Schefflera
   • Stenocarpus
   • Syzygium
   • Araucaria
   • Agathis
   • Actinostrobus
   • Callitris
   • Podocarpus
   • Adansonia
   • Agonis
   • Albizzia
   • Alstonia
   • Alphotinia
   • Angophora
   • Barklya
   • Buckinghamia
   • Castenospermum
   • Elaeocarpus
   • Ficus
   • Macadamia
   • Melia
   • Nuytsia
   • Tristania/Lophostemon
7. Making The Best Use of Native Plants
   • Why plant trees in the Landscape
   • Problems with trees
   • Biological controls
   • Parasitism
   • Symbiosis
   • Planting Techniques (Pocket planting, slope serrration, Wattling, Planting arid sites, Direct seeding, Spray seeding)
   • Edible Australian Tree Crops (Davidsonia, Quandong, Backhousia, Citrus, Acacia, Syzygium, Tasmannia, Kunzea)
   • Australian indigenous timber trees
   • Essential oils
   • Useful Australian Conifers (Actinostrobus, Athrotaxus, Agathis, Araucaria, Callitris, Podocarpus)
   • Australian Indigenous Palms
8. Special Assignment
   • You select and conduct an in depth study of one plant genus or group (eg. Timber trees, conifers, trees from a particular region).

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• To identify Australian Native Trees
• To describe the culture of Australian Native Trees.
• To propagate Australian Native Trees
• Compare characteristics and cultural requirements of different commonly grown species of Australian Native Trees.
• To compare characteristics and cultural requirements of conifer and rainforest species of Australian Native Trees.
• To describe a range of uses for Australian native trees.
• To study one type of Australian Native Tree in depth.

REFERENCE BOOKS
ACS operates a student bookshop that supplies a range of horticulture texts to supplement our courses.
Many are written by the principal (well known gardening author John Mason), or other staff. All have been reviewed and approved by our academic experts (to be accurate and relevant to students studying our horticulture courses).

• Student discounts are available to anyone studying with ACS Distance Education.
• Both printed books and ebooks (as downloads) available