australia

australia

Articles & Photos

Mistletoe: Lover, Fighter, Forest Savior

When hung over a threshold at Christmastime, a sprig of mistletoe is a matchmaker; in the wild, the plant is a parasite known as the "thief of trees." Now, thanks to a recent study in Australia, mistletoe has a new reputation: forest savior. Field research indicates it's actually a beneficial plant, critical to a healthy ecosystem.

Botanic Notables: The Fruit Salad Tree

By Anna Laurent

A fan of grafting and citrus fruits, I've been pursuing the legendary Tree of Many Fruits for some time now, and have yet to find one. Now I could have one in my backyard. Like many of my favorite trees, it hails from Australia. James and Kerry West, farmers in New South Wales, have been cultivating "fruit salad trees," each of which produce several kinds of fruits.

Wizards of Oz

By Lise Funderburg

Australian plants are like the ultimate self-sacrificing mother: They give and give (certain trees can reach 20 feet in just a few years and flower for six weeks or more) but ask so little in return. (Fertilizer? Rain? If you insist.) Their fantastical forms, however—including sculptural, hairy, or waxy blooms in neon colors—are anything but matronly.

Wizards of Oz Photo Gallery

By Lise Funderburg

Wonders from Down Under

Botanic Notables: Banksia

By Anna Laurent

Fire is generally the death knell for many plants, but the beautiful flowering shrubs and trees of the genus Banksia are adapted to even thrive in wildfires—in fact, the plants need fire to reproduce.