92 SEPTEMBER 2019 GARDENING AUSTRALIA
Clockwise from top left It’s entertaining to watch wrens flit in and
out of the garden, this one catching the sunlight on its #fluffybutt,
says rivergardens_axedale, while misty.mountain.crops is
delighted that a first attempt at growing ruby red chard has produced
such a stunner. Meanwhile, thedailypainter finishes a painting
of Echinops bannaticus ‘Star Frost’, inspired by a photograph in the
June issue of ABC Gardening Australia magazine, and c.mcwee
admires the uniqueness of kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos spp.).Your Insta posts
Q
Could you identify
this plant for me?
I bought it at a market
as an edible plant
that can be eaten raw
or cooked – I have
tried both. It is quite
prolific in my garden.
Lesley Smith, Mandurah,WAPHIL DUDMAN SAYS This is sambung nyawa
(Gynura procumbens), also known as longevity spinach.
The young leaves and shoots can be consumed
fresh or steamed, like spinach. It thrives in tropical
and subtropical gardens, but needs winter protection
in cooler areas. Being a perennial, it can provide
a harvest 12 months of the year. It is a particularly
useful leafy vegetable during a hot summer, when
the more traditional greens struggle. It’s incredibly
vigorous in hot, moist conditions and often needs
taming with secateurs!MAILBOX
I BOUGHT THIS PLANT WITH A LABEL THAT SAID
‘BLOWFLY BUSH’. WHAT IS ITS PROPER NAME?
Phil Sutton, Upper Lansdowne, NSWMARIANNE CANNON SAYS This plant is butcher’s broom (Ruscus x
microglossus), a native of the Mediterranean and North Africa. The branches
of a close relative, R. aculeatus, were used by butchers in Europe to sweep
their cutting blocks clean, hence the name. The ‘leaves’ are, in fact, flattened
stems called cladodes, which perform the same function of photosynthesis
as leaves, except they lose less water – an adaptation for surviving
hot, dry climates. The spiny little protrusions on the cladodes
are the true leaves. This evergreen rhizomatous subshrub
grows 0.5m high by 1m wide, and tolerates drought and
frost. It’s a rare, unusual-looking plant that makes an ideal
groundcover in dry, shady spots that get a bit of morning
sun. Small white flowers appear in the middle of the cladodes
from late autumn to winter, followed by black berries.Hanging
in there
This succulent is
growing out of the
brickwork at my
place. I don’t know
how it got there- maybe a bird –
but who needs a pot
to grow a succulent?
Margaret Golder,
Lugarno, NSW