This year the Council is holding the annual native plant giveaway online, due to COVID-19. Go to burnsidebiodiversity.com.au/ where you can select from more than 70 different species of trees, shrubs and local wildflowers. When we receive your order the plants will be boxed then delivered to your home.
Council botanist Dr Mark Ellis says there are more than 3,500 plants at the Biodiversity Nursery available to giveaway to Burnside residents.
“While the plants are free, we do appreciate a donation of $2 a plant simply to cover the materials,” Dr Ellis says. “The plants are grown by volunteers and that will allow them to keep growing – it covers the cost of pots, labels and boxes.”
Everything grown at the Nursery is a local native species. “They are things that are used to grow in the area of Burnside before European settlement,” Dr Ellis says. “We’ve got a team of volunteers that work very hard propagating seeds, cutting, and dividing plants. We’ve collected all these things locally so we are preserving the local genetics.”
Dr Ellis describes some of the plants available.
“Lemon beauty heads (calocephalus citreus) which is a fantastic little local wildflower. It has beautiful lemon yellow button head flowers in summer. It is perfect for a sunny spot in the garden.”
“The common everlasting (chrysocephalum apiculatum) is a small wildflower that loves a sunny spot as well. It is perfect for a garden as it encourages butterflies and other lovely local insects.”
“The tall scurf pea (cullen australasicum) is a very precious local native plant. Not only does it have sprays of lovely pink and purple pea-flowers in spring and summer but it is also a butterfly food plant. The caterpillars of the checkered swallow-tailed butterfly use it, so it is really important to plant locally.”
The giveaway runs until 22 June or until sold out. For City of Burnside residents only.
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