Noosa residents are discovering mosses and liverworts in moist shady places in their gardens.  Continuing rain has produced ideal conditions for the growth of these simple plants.   More >>

This year has seen some mighty fine orchids displaying their flowers in our biosphere. I have one in a Hickory wattle at my place, and it usually looks pretty average...just a whole heap of strappy leaves. This year it flowered spectacularly. It is Cymbidium Sauve, or Scented Orchid. It is quite common in forks in trees and old logs. It is epiphytic and has green/yellow flowers in large sprays. More >>

Sterculius was the Roman god for manure heaps! This plant has the botanical name Sterculia quadrifida. It's common name is Peanut tree. Apparently the botanical name comes from the odour of the leaves and flowers, although I cannot really smell anything odd! The flowers are fairly inconspicuous, being a creamy colour. This is in stark contrast to the magnificent fruit. As you can see the shiny black seeds are held inside a brilliant orange capsule. They are quite striking. The fruit is said to be edible, raw or roasted and reputedly tastes a bit like peanuts. With any "bush tucker" I advise caution...if you are unsure of the species, leave it alone!  More >>

Snow wood s a much better common name than Stinkwood!
Stinkwood is the unflattering name given to Pararchidendron pruinosum, and I prefer snow wood, which aptly describes the flowers when they first appear. "Stinkwood" refers to the smell given when the tree is cut down... all the better reason to leave it alone!  More >>

We  bang on a lot about weeds...[well I do...!].. .but why? Sure they can be a nuisance...like cobblers pegs getting stuck in your socks...but do they really cause a problem? We do know that weeds cost Australians lots of money in control and lost production...it is generally agreed that weeds cost the agricultural sector alone over 4 billion dollars per year. Certain species of weeds do not get a great deal of publicity, but have a serious effect on our nations biodiversity. Weeds can been loosely defined as "a plant growing where it is not wanted". This works, but I tend to think a weed is serious when it upsets the balance of an ecosystem. Weeds behave much like a school bully...they out-compete our native plants and can easily form mono-cultures. More >>

In our region the most commonly encountered water lilies are ...  More >>