Driving along Noosa Shire roads at this time of year is amazing. The colour on the edges of the bush from local plants is varied and beautiful.
The purple is Hovea acutifolia. Common name is Hovea. It can also have a white flower but I haven’t seen this version on the side of the road. This plant grows well in gardens. It can start off a bit spindly but will flower when small and is very hardy. Any plant that can survive in a car park can do well anywhere. It will grow well in all areas but doesn’t tolerate salt. It can be pruned into a nice shape and can reach over two meters in height but is usually smaller if left to grow naturally.
The roads around Noosa have many species of Acacia, wattles, growing along them. In the last few weeks Acacia hubbardiana ( Prickly Moses) has been putting on a show, especially along Emu Mountain rd. There flowers were a brilliant yellow and are now fading a bit to a cream colour. Much like Hovea, Prickly moses can be a bit spindly. Due to its spikey phyllodes ( leaves ) it makes great small bird habitat so is best planted with a few plants close together. It reaches to about 2m in height but usually smaller.
The gold or brown colour is from Allocasuarina spp. ( She oaks) specifically the male trees. The flowers are the coloured part. Female trees have small pinkish red flowers that aren’t showy. Its possible to see the pollen leave the flowers when the tree is shaken. Allocasuarinas are an important food source for Cockatoos. Species of Allocasuarinas are found through out the Noosa shire. Be aware when planting in a garden that theses trees can grow up to 10m.
Coolum Native Nursery and Hinter hub at Pomona stock the species listed here.
Michelle Newall
Hovea acutifolia
Acacia
Allocasuarina spp. (She oak)
Allocasuarina spp. female flowers