Growing Australian Natives from seed in the UK

I live in Australia but am getting married in the UK next summer & would really like to give guests comng to our wedding a seedling of an Australian Native plant as a keep sake. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what we can grow from seed between February (next trip home) & August (wedding)? We have parents living in Norfolk who are willing to help water etc.....

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner Deb.

Its a nice thought but you won't be able to bring a plant from outside the EU into The UK without a Phytosanitary certificate.

 

Oh, hang on, I think I misread that.

You can bring upto 5 retail packets of seed into the uk

 

We had a thread earlier in the year about growing Bottle Brush (Callistemon) in the UK - they seem quite popular in the garden centers at the moment, although mostly the shocking pink one that I cant remember the name of & isnt particularly hardy. I would have thought that either Pallidus or Pityoides would be a better bet.

Having said that I did manage to kill off all the seedlings I started from the seed I bought back from Tassie in Feb, so they do require a certain amount of care to get going.

 

My Callistemon seedlings, sown this Spring, are doign OK. Not very big yet though ...

Eucalyptus would be a nice gift - suitable for a small garden etc., but in my experience they won't get to any sort of acceptable size in the first season from seed.

 

I think you have nailed it Kristen, gum tree, but unlike you. I tend to think its quite possible to get a reasonable sized pot plant in the first year.
Go for the ones that are hardy over here.

I tend to think they are not really suitable for small gardens, as most are fast growing and need to be pruned each year unless you want a forest tree.

But I cant think of anything else that is likely to be reliably hardy in colder areas.
http://www.blueram.net/eucalyptus/specimentrees.asp

 

Hmmm ... perhaps the varieties I have grown? I get a tiddly seedling which is difficult to keep alive ... then in the second year they have done 3' or more ...

Can't remember which one I have grown - but it begins with "N" - Nitens or Niphophila perhaps

 

what about acacia dealbata? the seedling it`s touch sensitive and the plant grow quite happy around uk .
2nd choice Eucaliptus , even if I would have suggest bottle brush but as much as they are really easy to germinate they are really slow grower.

 

Good one Sal but not hardy around here.

You have reminded me of A. pravissima, mine has been hardy for about 15yrs and we have had some cold ones recently.
Not sure how big it would be after one season of growth, but guessing we are not looking for something massive.

 

I still see few alive around here , as you say that even many eucaliptus have died to the grown and come back from roots , but as we all know how slowly some australian plants are to grow or hard to germinate , I would go for acacia as the seedling are looking really nice .

 

Rush out and buy a Sollya heterophylla (are you in the UK now?). Get the parents to keep it in the garage over the worst of the winter and in the spring take cuttings and pot up. They strike easily.



It's kinda hardy if it's protected from the worst of the winter - unheated frost free garage is good enough.

Greville juniperina seems hardy enough in a sheltered spot. Again it will strike easily from cuttings.

 

I've got both of those (first season). I didn't think that either of them would be hardy - what do you reckon?

 

I Reckon that it will make a nice wedding present and a nice pot plant for 5/6 years and when it`s too big can be planted outdoor .... even if acacia live happy in pot.
be honest to me me the only flower/plant that would remember me of australia would be banksia or eucaliptus.

 

Thanks so much for all the ideas!

I think I'm going to try out several; bring a variety of seeds over with us February & try planting them, but also see if I can source some in the UK to ensure we get varieties that will be hardy enough. I also love the idea of striking cuttings from a mature plant so will send the parents out on a mission.

I agree Sal, it's eucalypt all the way for me when it comes to invoking Aussie memories, but I don't think we'll be too popular with people when they take over the gardens (assuming they take at all)

I'll keep you posted with progress & thansk again for so many suggestions.

Deb

 

http://www.jungleseeds.co.uk/ would be worth a look. They have a (UK) hardiness guide too. Nice pretty packets too ... you could just give a packet of seeds to each guest and tell them to get on with it!!!!!