Exotic or native? That’s the Question.

Exotic or Native? That’s the Question
The Turkey Tangential
by Spencer Shaw of Brush Turkey Enterprises
 
Recently I undertook a covert and highly dangerous mission risking life, limb and sanity to infiltrate a notoriously dangerous event. An event that threatens the very fabric of our society – a garden expo!
I have partaken in several preliminary missions as a speaker at several individual garden clubs over the last few years but nothing could prepare me for a full gathering of these local garden clubs (gangs – some may say!) and their agenda to usurp our native Australian flora with just about anything as long as its exotic!
Dangerous I hear you say? Surely not those innocent grannies, tending their roses could be the threat you are portraying? Surely Spencer your imagination has got the better of you and you are suffering from some grand illusion. Well people I’m going to blow the cover on this most insidious of plots. I, for the first time ever, will be revealing the agenda of a secret society so nefarious in its intent, so devious in its methods, so completely evil…. just wait a second there’s somebody at the front door. Oh no they’ve found me, I don’t want to end up at the bottom of someone’s compost heap, honestly exotic plants are great, please no, not the secateurs, no, no, no arghhhhh….
 
Just joking of course, Garden Clubs have plenty of native plant growers and are great groups to do talks for. This expo was 50-50 native and exotic, so that seemed like positive moves where afoot. However, then came the keynote speakers talk about his trip to Thailand, assisting the nursery industry in bringing 100’s of “new” plants back into Australia. We where all assured that the risk of bringing plant diseases back into the country was virtually nil and that the potential of new weeds resulting from these imports was almost nil, I almost find that comforting.
 
The problem with most weeds is that they are not weeds in their natural environments. Its only when a plant is discovered for horticulture and released from its natural ecosystem, that we will discover its potential as a weed. The examples are numerous. The truth is that when we introduce exotic plants into Australia to gratify our desire for the what’s in fashion in the garden, then we will inevitably be introducing new weeds into our remaining natural ecosystems. Lantana, Cats Claw, Madeira Vine, Morning Glory, Camphor Laurel and many more are serious environmental weeds have jumped the back fence from peoples gardens. These plants should be a warning to us of the potential for destruction when a plant is released from its natural environment.
 
The challenge I would like to pose to may horticulturalists is to bring local native plants into local garden centres. Its one thing for us to support mainstream Australian industry by buying “Australian Made” products, but its about time we started supporting local ecosystems by planting the real “Australian Made” plants, perfectly designed for real Australian gardens and much appreciated by Australian fauna. Apologies for the blatant overuse of national pride, but if that’s what it takes to get gardeners planting less exotics then I’ll join the mainstream media and some politicians in exploiting nationalism. Well maybe not.
 
The average Australian garden however is a reflection of the poor relationship recent Australians have with our native ecosystems. Ask most Australians to name a few native Australian native plants and Gum trees and Wattles may come to mind and perhaps even Jacarandas! Their responses might run a little something like this  “Gum trees are ok because they have good wood and feed koalas, but then again they are messy and drop branches, Wattles are often not so good because of their rapid growth and ability to turn a cow paddock into scrub within a few years and well, Jacarandas are just as Aussie as me and you”. Even the language used to describe our local flora such as “Scrub”, “Brush”, “Swamp” etc… is derogatory and displays a lack of understanding of our local ecosystems.
 
The challenge for us all as new Australians is to immerse ourselves in our local ecosystems and learn all we can about the plants and animals that live within them. Gardening can be used for good (and not for evil!) in this regard, because gardeners as a rule interact with their plants and the animals that utilise them on a very personal basis and this familiarity leads to knowledge and appreciation. Every local native plant in your garden is a step forward for us living in harmony with our local ecosystems.  What’s more our local native plants shouldn’t be planted out of sympathy or duty, but because they are amazing for their flowers, fruit, foliage and so many other reasons. The only reason many of these plants are not in our gardens yet, is because of our lack of knowledge.
So do yourself a favour, buy local Australian made plants and you will well and truly be investing in Australia’s future.