Bushland Plants and Gardens

The native plants of the Blue Mountains are suited to the particular geology and climate of the area. Changes brought about by urban activities, however, can threaten the survival of individual native species or entire plant communities.

The effects of gardens on natural bushland often go unnoticed but include:

Runoff from lawns, gardens and car washing entering natural watercourses or flowing into bushland. The additional water itself may kill some plants but the nutrients contained in the runoff (especially phosphorus, nitrogen and heavy metals) are also major problems.

Dumping of green waste, particularly lawn clippings, in bushland. The waste leaches nutrients and is the source of weed invasion.

Planting species likely to escape to the bush and become weeds; this includes some Australian native species such as Cootamundra wattle (Acacia baileyana) and Queensland silver wattle (Acacia podalyriifolia).

Australian Native Species

The Blue Mountains area is luckier than most as far as retaining its native plants is concerned. Because of the hilliness, the pressure for development has not been as great as in other areas, particularly the western areas of Sydney. The threats to the native plants of the Mountains include:

• Land clearing for development.
• Water pollution.
• Plant collecting.
• Weeds spreading into bush.

Plants at Risk

The Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 provides for the protection of all threatened plants and animals which are native to New South Wales. Schedules to the Act list species which are "endangered - E" (at risk of disappearing from the wild in the short term or presumed extinct) or "threatened – T" (at risk in the longer term).

Some of the plants most at risk in the Blue Mountains are:

• Acacia clunies-rossiae (T); a wattle from the Kowmung River.
• Acacia pubescens (T); small populations in western Sydney and lower Blue Mountains.
• Boronia deanei (T); occurs in high altitude swamp margins.
• Epacris hamiltonii (E); a small heath-like plant from Blackheath area.
• Hakea sp "Kowmung River" (E); an as yet unnamed species.
• Isopogon fletcheri (T); a "cone bush" of the upper Blue Mountains.
• Kunzea cambagei (T); related to Melaleuca and occurs in the western Blue Mountains.
• Microstrobus fitzgeraldii (E) ; a small pine threatened by water pollution from urban areas.
• Olearia oliganthema (E); a small "daisy bush" now presumed extinct.

Bushland Weeds

Bushland or Environmental Weeds cause damage to natural environments by replacing native species through fast growth, multiple seeding and damaging soil. They can also cause the decline of native species by reducing sunlight, rainfall penetration and nutrients.

Some Weeds of Serious Concern in the Blue Mountains

Common Name	Botanical Name	Description
Japanese honeysuckle	Lonicera japonica	Vigorous, evergreen climber
Montbretia	Crocosmia crocosmiiflora	Perennial with underground corms
Cherry laurel	Prunus laurocerasus	Suckering shrub; black berries
Cotoneaster	Cotoneaster spp.	Small/medium shrubs ; red berries
English ivy	Hedera helix	Vigorous climber; black berries
English holly	Ilex aquifolium	Large, evergreen shrub
Erica (Spanish heath)	Erica lustanica	Small, fine-leafed shrub
Gorse	Ulex europaeus	Prickly shrub with yellow flowers
Broad-leaf privet	Ligustrum lucidum	Shrubs with glossy leaves; black berries
Narrow-leaf privet	Ligustrum sinense	Shrubs with glossy leaves; black berries
Scotch broom	Cytisus scoparius	Large shrub with yellow flowers
Radiata (Monterey) pine	Pinus radiata	Large pine tree
Blackberry	Rubus fruticosus	Vigorous, thorny trailing plant

A declared noxious weed; there are over 40 noxious weeds in the Blue Mountains area

The above table is based on the "Weed of the Month" leaflets published by the Blue Mountains Bushcare Network. The leaflets describe control methods for each weed and can be obtained from Council’s Bushcare Officer.

Most weeds have originated in private gardens! Help prevent further spread by controlling weeds on your property and by replacing known weedy plants by safe alternatives, either native or exotic. The table below describes some suggested replacements for weeds. The suggestions are from a booklet, "Instead of Weeds", to be published by the Blue Mountains Bushcare Network later in 1998. Contact Council’s Bushcare Officer for details.

Some Garden Alternatives to Weeds

Unwelcome Guests!

Noxious weeds are those which are regarded as having such a serious economic or environmental impact that their control is mandatory. Failure to control these weeds can result in penalties up to $10,000.

Blue Mountains City Council - Bushcare Officer, Noxious Weeds Section

PO Box 189, Katoomba, 2780

02-4782-0539

Bush Regeneration

Weeds can be controlled by manual removal or by the use of herbicides, but indiscriminate use of chemicals can destroy native plant species nearby. On weed-infested bushland, bush regeneration methods are highly successful and involve gradual restoration working from the least infested areas towards the highly infested areas. The rate of weed removal is gradual and is dictated by the rate at which the native plants regenerate.

Volunteer Bushcare Groups

There are more than 30 volunteer bushcare groups in the Mountains. The groups work on small, local areas and are supported by Council which supplies guidance from qualified bush regenerators, tools and other materials.

If you are concerned about the state of the bushland in your area, why not consider joining a bush care group? The commitment of time is not great - half a day per month - and you will soon learn the difference between native plants and weeds and how to remove weeds in such a way as to allow the bush to grow back. You might also learn how to collect and propagate local seeds and plant out the trees and shrubs into your regeneration site.

Caring for the Bush

For information on Volunteer Bushcare Groups and the Bushcare Network contact the Bushcare Officer at Blue Mountains City Council:

Blue Mountains City Council - Bushcare Officer

PO Box 189, Katoomba, 278

02-4782-0623

Gardens and Garden Waste

Local Plants

While most people enjoy growing a range of plants from various parts of the world, Australian native plants are now more common in gardens than previously. A number of people have taken this a step further, particularly near bushland areas, by growing local species (i.e. native to the local area). There are several advantages in this:

• Local plants are better suited to the local climate and soils.
• Local plants are more likely to attract more local birds and animals than plants from other areas.
• Local plants will not "escape" to become environmental weeds

Australian Native and Local Plants

Blue Mountains Conservation Society

The Society operates a nursery which propagates plants from locally collected material. Sales are held each Tuesday from 9am until noon at the NPWS Heritage Centre, Govetts Leap Rd, Blackheath. Sales are also held periodically at the Conservation Hut, Valley of the Waters, Wentworth Falls.

PO Box 29 Wentworth Falls NSW 2782

02-4757-1872; Fax 02-4757-1753

www.pnc.com.au/~bmcs

bmcs@pnc.com.au

Wildplant Rescue Service

A non-profit organisation which rescues local native plants from areas being cleared for development. Regular sales are held including a stall in Katoomba St, Katoomba on the last Friday of each month (9am to 3pm).

PO Box 20, Blackheath, 2785

02 4787 6391; Fax: 02 4787 6196

Australian Plants Society

Promotes the cultivation of Australian native plants. The Blue Mountains Group nursery, Gt. Western Highway, Glenbrook is open Wed, Sat, Sun from noon to 4pm.

PO Box 744, Blacktown, 2148

02 9621 3437

http://www.ozemail.aust.com/~sgap

Specialist Native Plant Nurseries

Cranebrook Native Nursery

175 Cranebrook Rd, Cranebrook, 2749.

02 4777 4256

Sydney Wildflower Nursery West

241 South St, Marsden Park, 2765.

02 9628 4448

Tree Protection

Trees on private land are protected by law and cannot be removed, lopped or otherwise damaged without approval. Applications must be made to Council but, to gain approval, the tree must be causing damage or be likely to cause damage or injury. Approval will rarely be granted because of leaf drop or obstruction of views. A tree is defined as:

• being greater than 3.6 metres high, and/or
• having a circumference of more than 0.45 metres at a height of 1 metre above ground, and/or
• having a branch spread of more than 3 metres.

An application for removal is not needed if the tree is dead, dying or dangerous. However, you will need written advice from a qualified arborist and the removal of the tree must be reported to Council. An application is also not needed if the tree is officially classed as a noxious weed.

If a tree is removed, ensure that a suitable replacement(s) is planted.

Contact Blue Mountains City Council for up to date information on Tree Preservation Regulations.

Blue Mountains City Council - Tree Management Officer

PO Box 189, Katoomba, 2780

02-4782-0637

Vegetable Gardens Near Bushland

Vegetable gardens are often very rich organically and usually require more water than ornamental gardens. The runoff can pose a serious pollution threat.

Try to locate vegetable gardens and compost heaps so that drainage is not directed towards bushland.

Construct barriers, such as a low earth mound, to divert runoff from reaching bushland areas.

Use fertilizers only as directed on the packaging; over-fertilizing is wasteful and can harm many plants

If the soil is moist just below the surface, watering is unnecessary

Native animals will feed on vegetable gardens near bushland. Gardeners need to accept this and prevent access in ways that cause the animals no harm.

Lawn Grasses

Grass seeds are typically very small and easily distributed even by light breezes. Neglected lawns sometimes produce flowers and set seed and this can cause invasion of grass weeds into bushland. To avoid potential problems:

Ensure that mowing is carried out often enough to prevent seeding

Operate the mower to direct grass clippings away from the bush.

Maintain a defined boundary between lawn and bush to prevent the spread of running grasses like kikuyu and couch).

Green Waste

There are several environment-friendly ways of dealing with lawn clippings and prunings:

Compost it! Composting improves the soil for vegetable growing, etc and reduces the need for fertilizer.

Use it as mulch – hire a mulching machine to chop branches and other litter into "chip mulch" and apply it to gardens to retain moisture and reduce weeds. Mulchers can be hired from companies listed under "Hire – Builders’, Contractors’ and Handyman’s Equipment" in the Yellow Pages Directory.

Share a mulching machine with neighbours

Leave lawn clippings on the lawn. This provides fertilizer as the clippings decompose and helps maintain soil temperature...it’s also a lot easier than collecting them!

The "Garden-to-Garden" project, managed by Waste Services NSW, recycles green waste from parks and gardens as a commercial project to produce compost, mulches and garden mixes for sale to the public. The project was launched in early 1998.

"Garden-to-Garden"

Waste Services NSW

PO Box 699, Chatswood, 2057

02-9934-7000

Composting Information

Blue Mountains City Council - Waste Management

PO Box 189, Katoomba, 2780

02-4782-0777

Garden Pests

Pests come in all shapes and sizes and include insects, molluscs (snails and slugs), microorganisms, cats, dogs and even small children! Some are more lovable than others.....

Whether something is a pest depends on your point of view. You might regard sawfly larvae chomping on your bottlebrush as pests and you might not be impressed if you brush past a stinging caterpillar while wearing a short-sleeved shirt! But the shrike thrush perched in the tree above probably sees them as lunch.

Before reaching for the insecticide, decide whether the few chewed leaves are really unacceptable. If you remove the pests, birds will look for "greener pastures" elsewhere and , with no birds, there will be more pests and you will have to use insecticide even more often. You might also kill off creatures which are helpful in controlling pests.

If spraying is essential, consider less toxic alternatives....see Chemicals and Pest Control.

Garden Friends

Not everything that lives in your garden is a pest:

Beneficial insects: There are lots! - they include ladybirds, lacewings, the praying mantis, ichneumon wasps, hover flies and the aptly-named "assassin bugs" . They spell terror for aphids, scale, caterpillars and a range of other insects.

Spiders: You might find them creepy...but so do mosquitos, wasps, various larvae, flies and lots of other "nasties".

Earthworms: These are very useful creatures:

They aerate the soil through their tunnelling

They indicate healthy soils...not too alkaline and not too acidic

Their droppings (castings) are high in nutrients.

Poisonous and Irritant Plants

When Captain Cook’s Endeavour reached the east coast of Australia in 1770, the crew observed Aborigines eating many of the plants that grew in the coastal forests. However, in North Queensland, some crew members became seriously ill after eating the seeds of a local cycad (Cycas media) and a number of pigs died. What the crew members didn’t know was that the Aborigines had developed a way of treating the seeds to remove the toxins before eating.

Some bushland plants and even some plants commonly grown in gardens are toxic. Unless you know that a particular plant is safe, treat all plants with suspicion. Some to look out for are:

• Oleander - all parts are poisonous and stems give off toxic fumes when burnt....not ideal for a barbecue!!
• Rhus - a noxious weed which may be found in some gardens - causes severe skin rashes on certain people just by brushing past the foliage.
• Grevillea "Robyn Gordon" and similar grevilleas - also cause skin irritation to certain people.
• Privet - the entire plant is toxic
• Kernels of apricots and peaches - these contain cyanide and have caused deaths
• Poinsettia - leaves and stems cause diarrhoea and stomach pains. The milky sap can cause blindness
• Pollens of various plants - Pollens which are light and which are kept airborne by breezes can cause severe distress for hayfever and asthma sufferers. Many different plants, including grasses, are involved and people who are affected should have allergy tests.

....by the way, did you know that cycads (Macrozamia species) grow in the Blue Mountains forests? Seeds of all cycads are poisonous.

Wattle and Asthma:Fact or Myth?

Wattle pollen often gets the blame when people get hayfever or asthma. However, researchers who specialise in allergies say that, although some people are sensitive, allergic reactions to wattle are uncommon! This view is supported by the Asthma Foundation of NSW.