Gardening writer JACKIE WARBURTON writes in praise of a terrific habitat tree that’s attractive to parrots and silver eyes, and suitable for large gardens that have beehives. 

Hickory wattle is in bloom now with its beautiful cream-coloured pom-pom flowers through spring and summer.

Its juvenile foliage is different and fern-like and, as the plant matures, the foliage will change too, with long, curved leaves. An evergreen plant, it’s drought tolerant when established. 

It relies on rainfall for its irregular flowering times, which are generally only in the warmer months. 

One stem or tree can live for more than 30 years and it’s considered long lived in the wattle world. 

It’s a terrific habitat tree that’s attractive to parrots and silver eyes, and suitable for large gardens that have beehives. 

Hickory wattle (Acacia Implexa) can sucker if given the room or when its roots have been disturbed, but once established, they’re terrific for soil erosion and embankments, adding nitrogen to the soil as well. 

Once its created a thicket, it can also become a slow-burning bush border on a rural block or, using harvested stems, for smoking meats on the barbecue. 

Trying to source locally grown hickory seedlings can be a little hard, but you may find it at the Australian Native Plant Society’s sale on October 19 in the southern car park at the Botanic Gardens. 

Buying and supporting locally propagated plants comes with the bonus that they have already adapted to our climatic conditions and will grow successfully with minimal care. 

Most natives will be in small tube stock pots and should be planted as soon as you can. There is only a small amount of potting mix in these pots and the roots can dry out quickly. If you can’t plant straight away, keep moist and in the shade. 

THE forest pansy (Cercis canadensis) is also putting on a show right now. A small tree, it grows to about five metres with bold, heart-shaped leaves that give dappled shade in summer. 

Its foliage colour is burgundy and can contrast well in the garden, but it’s planted for spectacular flowering on bare stems in early spring. The vibrant purple flowers are divine, followed by the foliage for summer. Its autumn colours are a buttery yellow and all-in-all, it’s a beautiful tree all year round. 

It needs sun to enhance the purple colour in the leaves and if it’s in too much shade, it will slowly turn green. To grow well it needs water, but if it dries out, any dieback will lead to branches needing to be removed. It doesn’t like root disturbance and will sulk if transplanted. 

A forest pansy under stress can be prone to California red scale, which can be hard to eradicate. Although they can be fickle, finding the right spot for one in any garden is a bonus. It’s a lovely small tree. 

THE vegetable patch should be in full swing by now the soils have warmed and the race is on to get tomatoes on to the Christmas table. Buy heirloom tomatoes for the best-tasting tomato and the seed can be kept for sowing the following year. 

Jottings…

• Keep hedges trimmed, little but often. 

• Pot orchids that have finished flowering. 

• Camellias can have a hard prune, if needed.

• Plant out summer flowers such as zinnias and nasturtiums. 

jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au