now only native shade plantings!

15 years ago

Hi All

firstly thank you for your feedback regarding drought resistant shade plants.

I am now having to modify the option now just to aust native shade tolerant plants.

I can think of many rainforest plants that would do the job though I am trying to consider plants outside of that sphere. So I open it up to young and old to put in their 2 cents worth to plants that you all feel would do the trick!

(I must say that this is literally my first exercise in this domain and I really need to get it right!

So please let me know your experiences

thanks in anticipation

andrew

Comments (4)

trish_g
15 years ago
Hi Andrew.
Well, thatÂs an interesting question - and a pretty broad one. A small amount of lateral thinking along the lines of "what are the shady natural environments in which plants grow" does lead us firmly towards rainforests, doesnÂt it? And the darkest places tend to be where the streams flow, so theyÂre also the wettest.
The obvious ones are the ferns, and leafy understory plants such as gingers, Cordylines, cunjevoi, Hydrocotyles, Peperomias, and so on.
Many climbers like deep shade when young, which makes them good indoor plants.
Plants that flower in the shade are another matter. Sambucus australis (yellow elderberry) is said to produce fruits in the shade, so presumably it flowers there also. ItÂs not a plant IÂm familiar with, but I think it would, like all the above, like a lot of water. I mentioned Hypoestes floribunda, I think, on your other thread. ItÂs a drought hardy one.
Understorey plants from dry rainforests are another area to explore if youÂre after shrubs and small trees, as they are happy in the shade but have the advantage of not being water-hungry. There are hundreds of these.
Plants from caves, and south-facing cliffs would also have to be shade lovers, wouldnÂt they? I seem to remember, when I was visiting the Capricorn Caves at Rockhampton, seeing a fern that liked to grow well inside the cave, and I think it would have had to make do with very little water, too.
Native plant books which have sections on indoor plants must have some useful suggestions.
I am interested in your project. What sort of situation are planning to put these shade loving plants in to? Pots? What sort of soil? What sort of size?
Trish
cherax
Original Author
15 years ago
Hi Trish Thanks for your replies. I note that you are also a lurker on ausbushfoods as well!
I will elaborate further as time is tight at present. I am a rainforest head from ways back and am steering clear here on this thread.
The habititat is very much sydney sandstone with water draining through and over cliff communities. Lots of calicoma serratifolia, cerapetalum, acmena and syzigium though I also want more shrubby feature plants that are more at home when it dries up.
talk soon
andrew
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trish_g
15 years ago
Hi Andrew.
Sandstone makes a difference! I'm on basalt soil, and there's not much overlap with the plants, except for the dry rainforest/ semi-deciduous vine scrub species. There is sandstone near Toowoomba, where I do go bushwalking quite a bit. I notice that in relatively shady creeks there, which are very prone to drying up, Acmena smithii does well. So does Acronychia laevis, and Petalostigma triloculare. They are all shrubs with showy fruits, but I don't know how they'd go in full shade.
Native epiphytic orchids are another possibility you could consider.
Trish
pos02
15 years ago
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now only native shade plantings!

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trish_g

cherax
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now only native shade plantings!

Comments (4)

trish_g

cheraxOriginal Author

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cherax
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