Re: Growing Aussie plants in the cold

Samantha wrote

>Hi!,
>   I've had a request from someone in Ireland who wants
>to grow Aussie plants, Kangaroo paw, Grass tree, WA Christmas
>bush, a gum tree and a dwarf wattle. (They didn't say species)
>They have a green house. Does anyone out there have any
>tips or guidlines for this? I have absolutely no idea!

I live in an area of England (far South West) where the climate is
vaguely similar to Ireland although I suspect they get more rain and
it is probably a few degrees colder.  I've grown 'Paws' for some time
and find that cold is not necessarily the main problem - it is the
combination of low temperatures (around 35F) and winter wet.  If the
plants are sited in a sharply drained spot in full sun and given
overhead protection in winter, they might 'come through'.  Fungal rots
are the main problem with this group of plants and can wreak havoc in
a remarkably short period of time.

The same applies to 'Grass Trees' although they appear to be a good
deal hardier.  

Many gums and mallees do extremely well although it depends upon
species.  Eucalyptus rhodantha is notoriously difficult in our wet
climate and is very prone to 'sudden death syndrome' - usually during
a hot humid period in summer following a cool wet winter.  However,
even seedlings of E. eximia and its dwarf form 'Nana' seem to
withstand frosts and winter wet unharmed and both appear to be fully
hardy at all stages.  Generally, unless the 'Gums' are semi-desert
lovers, they should succeed well - including the Scarlet Gum.

Many species of 'Wattle' thrive in the milder, western parts of
Britain although as with the Gums, the desert lovers will need
overhead protection from winter wet and are probably best kept in
large pots where they can be moved under glass from November to March.

As far as the WA Christmas Bush is concerned, which is this?  there
appear to be several unrelated plants labouring under this name.

My advice would be that the smaller plants including the 'Paws' should
be brought into an unheated greenhouse and kept dry in winter.  I
don't do this and have been lucky for several years, but this very
mild, wet winter is really giving my plants a 'pasting'.  They are
looking worse now that at any time during the much colder winters of
'96 & '97.

David Poole

TORQUAY  UK
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