Australian Native Plants: Cultivation, Use in Landscaping And Propagation

by John W. Wrigley, Murray Fagg (Photographer & illustrator)

This guide provides information on thousands of plants native to Australia - their properties, cultivation and propagation. The plant entries are divided up into chapters according to whether they are ground covers, rockery, water features or shrubs.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Australia, Reference

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

John Wrigley, Curator of the National Botanic Gardens, has spent over twenty years developing his knowledge of Australian native flora and is eminently qualified to write on this subject. He has been involved with many organizations including the Society for Growing Australian Plants, in which he has held the position of Federal President. He landscaped the Australian pavilion at Expo '70 in Japan. Mr Wrigley is actively engaged in encouraging others to grow Australian native plants and has presented numerous papers on administrative and horticultural problems at national and international conferences.

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, at over 700 pages, is the best & most comprehensive single volume book on Australian native plants. My review refers to the 6th edition. The fact that around a quarter of a million copies have been sold & the 7th edition is about to be published (the first was in 1979) gives an indication of its enduring appeal. However, given that the new edition is priced at over A$200, I won't be upgrading. I've seen several editions & each has been better than the last, as one would expect.

There are introductory chapters on topics such as propagation, cultivation, pests & diseases, & landscaping. The major part of the book is plant entries, including cultivars, grouped under ground covers, rockery plants, water features, shrubs, trees, annuals & bedding plants, climbers, & container plants. Each entry includes climatic zones, description, distribution, propagation, cultivation & symbols for special features of the plant. There are small but high quality photos for about half the plants.