Laurestinus/Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus) growing as a novel component in the damaged understoreys of Yarra Bend. Laurustinus was a core component of the Victorian garden toolkit, … Read the full post
Wild Sage (Salvia verbenaca)
Wild Sage (Salvia verbenaca), a Mediterranean steppe perennial introduced to Australia as a casual medicinal herb and a likely contaminant of imported seed or stock. … Read the full post
Boneseed (Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. monilifera)
Boneseed (Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. monilifera), this time profiling the presence of this invasive shrub aster in the inner metropolitan. The photographs here show the species … Read the full post
Boneseed (Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. monilifera)
Boneseed (Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. monilifera), a South African coastal shrub aster now more widespread in Australia and New Zealand than in its native range. Boneseed … Read the full post
Trailing African Daisy (Dimorphotheca fruticosa)
Trailing African Daisy (Dimorphotheca fruticosa), a showy South African aster that has springboarded back into ruderal ecology in an increasing number of Mediterranean climates around … Read the full post
Annual Saltmarsh Aster or Aster-weed (Symphyotrichum subulatum)
Annual Saltmarsh Aster or Aster-weed (Symphyotrichum subulatum), naturalised on brackish wetland areas, riparian banks, irrigation canals, and seasonally wet sites throughout Victoria. Native to saline … Read the full post
Climbing Groundsel (Senecio angulatus)
Climbing Groundsel (Senecio angulatus), another winter-flowering climbing aster from Southern Africa. Climbing varieties like this one were likely included in early horticultural imports of unidentified … Read the full post
Cape Ivy (Delairea odorata)
Cape Ivy (Delairea odorata), a sickly sweet smelling smotherer of fencelines, coastal dunes and riparian understoreys. An environmental weed known elsewhere as Ivy-leaved Groundsel, this … Read the full post
Garden Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
Garden Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) found fruiting this autumn in riparian positions on Edgar’s Creek in Reservoir and amidst the rockeries along the top of Treasury … Read the full post
Common Heliotrope or Potato Weed (Heliotropium europaeum)
Common Heliotrope or Potato Weed (Heliotropium europaeum), an accidental Eurasian import and major annual weed of southern Australia’s grain-growing regions, including the Victorian Mallee. Initially … Read the full post
South American Goldenrod (Solidago chilensis)
South American Goldenrod (Solidago chilensis), a member of that prolific and striking lineage of predominantly Western Hemisphere asters, now established on suburban Melbourne streams. Goldenrods … Read the full post
Cobbler’s Pegs (Bidens pilosa)
Cobbler’s Pegs (Bidens pilosa), also known as Beggar’s Ticks, Farmer’s Friend, Blackjack, a cosmopolitan aster from the Americas that has been distributed globally, to the … Read the full post
Lion’s Tail (Leonotis leonurus)
Lion’s Tail (Leonotis leonurus), a spectacular Southern African member of the mint family. Brought to Australia as a garden ornamental (the species was available from … Read the full post
Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)
Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), the cultivated South American intoxicant, growing as a fence weed in one of Collingwood’s mixed use streets. Experimentation with the cultivation of … Read the full post
Mexican Marigold (Tagetes erecta syn T. patula)
Mexican Marigold (Tagetes erecta syn T. patula), known as African or French Marigolds depending on the cultivar / chromosome count. An alien orange aster lovingly … Read the full post
New York Aster or Michaelmas Daisy (Symphyotrichum novi-belgii)
New York Aster or Michaelmas Daisy (Symphyotrichum novi-belgii), a North American perennial aster adopted into ornamental cultivation and from there into weediness. New York Aster … Read the full post
Prairie Ground Cherry (Physalis hederifolia)
Prairie Ground Cherry (Physalis hederifolia), a nightshade family member from the southwestern USA and northern Mexico, and a regionally controlled or prohibited weed throughout much … Read the full post
Whitetip Nightshade (Solanum chenopodioides)
Whitetip Nightshade (Solanum chenopodioides), an Argentinian nightshade in the Solanum nigrum complex that has been exported to other wet temperate locales since European colonisation. Reaching … Read the full post
African bush daisy (Euryops chrysanthemoides)
African bush daisy (Euryops chrysanthemoides), a favoured ornamental garden shrub now naturalising into Victorian floodways. Have you seen this plant in suspicious circumstances? Native to … Read the full post
Sweet Scabious, Pincushions (Scabiosa atropurpurea)
Sweet Scabious, Pincushions (Scabiosa atropurpurea), a Mediterranean wildflower cultivated globally as a garden annual and cut flower. Where have you seen these familiar blooms growing … Read the full post
Sunflower Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)
Sunflower Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), a North American aster on something of a march along Melbourne’s waterways. Also known as Jerusalem Artichoke, Sunchoke, topinambour. Although still … Read the full post
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), a plant that appears poorly adapted for a pavement existence but tries it all the same. Tomato has been reported as an … Read the full post
Great Mullein, Shepherd’s Club, Velvet Weed (Verbascum thapsus)
Great Mullein, Shepherd’s Club, Velvet Weed (Verbascum thapsus), a broad-leaved Eurasian biennial herb flowering in its second season. The plant was introduced to Melbourne no … Read the full post
Gallant Soldier (Galinsoga parviflora)
Gallant Soldier (Galinsoga parviflora), a Central American annual herb now distributed throughout the temperate and subtropical world as a consequence of 19th century botanical and … Read the full post
Sprawling Bluebell (Wahlenbergia gracilis)
Sprawling Bluebell (Wahlenbergia gracilis), a widespread indigenous plant that copes well with disturbance and regularly shows up colonising pavements, walls, garden beds and plant pots … Read the full post
Blue Morning Glory (Ipomoea indica)
Blue Morning Glory (Ipomoea indica), alien infestation of metropolitan Melbourne. A pan-tropical plant of uncertain origin, Blue Morning Glory was sold in Melbourne from 1855 … Read the full post
Nemesia hybrid cultivars (Nemesia cv.)
Nemesia hybrid cultivars (Nemesia cv.), growing as an infestation over a block and a half of East Melbourne. Nemesia as a genus stems exclusively from … Read the full post
Purple-top (Verbena bonariensis)
Purple-top (Verbena bonariensis), specifically the variety V. bonariensis var. bonariesis. The other is var. conglomerata, which this channel covered earlier in the season. As noted … Read the full post
Prickly Lettuce (Lactuca serriola)
Prickly Lettuce (Lactuca serriola), direct progenitor of garden lettuce and ubiquitous feature of disturbed, paved and wasted landscapes. The growth cycle of Prickly Lettuce is … Read the full post
Artichoke Thistle (Cynara cardunculus)
Artichoke Thistle (Cynara cardunculus), a signature of landowner neglect throughout the basalt clay of Melbourne’s north and west peripheral. This Mediterranean plant was listed as … Read the full post