greysrigging Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 Took a stroll through the local gardens today.... the 'Wet Season' has kicked into gear in the last week or so, with 300mm ( 12" ) falling since last weekend. Everything is in full on growing mode and the place looks healthy and alive. Recovering nicely from the severe storm / cyclone of March 2018. As usual I have pointed and clicked the camera at a few interesting plants, palms and trees. Bear with me and I'll upload some to this thread Spectacular tropical tree I have not seen in flower before A novelty tree... a few seeds found at the base of this one.... i have one of these in my back yard, but its not as good as this specimen ! A pretty tree with new growth... don't know its name.... That's an Illawarra Flame Tree with remnant flowers.... not really suited to our climate Some Madagascan trees.... some seeds might make their way home.... Couple of familiar ( but not common in local cultivation ) Not common in Darwin that's for sure.... 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysrigging Posted January 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 Some more photos from the Darwin Botanical Gardens... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysrigging Posted January 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 (edited) George Brown Botanical Gardens, Darwin. Edited January 24, 2020 by greysrigging addition to post. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysrigging Posted January 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 Darwin Botanical Gardens 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 Sensational! Thank you. 1 What you look for is what is looking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinzyjr Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 Thank you for posting the photos. Gorgeous! 1 Lakeland, FL USDA Zone (2012): 9b | Sunset Zone: 26 | Record Low: 20F/-6.67C (1985, 1962) | Record Low USDA Zone: 9a | 30-Year Avg. Low: 30F | 30-year Min: 24F Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akamu Posted January 25, 2020 Report Share Posted January 25, 2020 Simply incredible thanks for sharing what an incredible climate to grow so many species 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysrigging Posted January 29, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2020 Some more pics.....taken today wandering around the Gardens.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysrigging Posted February 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2020 Some more Gardens pics.... some beautiful tropical shade trees that should be more widely planted around our City... Trouble is ( of course ) that once every 40 years or so a Cyclone wipes out the city tree plantings.... I have one of these in my front yard. Not the one pictured, its way better than my one...lol And with a strangler fig climbing up it.... I have this one in my back yard. Has a wickedly spiky trunk. A Top End native. Silk handkerchief tree Becoming a popular street planting tree.... roundabouts and median strips. Red Saraca Ceylon Oak Rain Tree, dozens of these planted in this old Darwin precinct..... much loved shade tree in our climate. https://www.territorynativeplants.com.au/albizia-saman-southamerican-rain-tree Don't know what this one is... no tag on the plant. And some palms.... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silas_Sancona Posted February 3, 2020 Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 Not sure on the exact species but last tree ( w/ the white, hanging, bell-like flowers ) before palm pic series is likely an Elaeocarpus.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysrigging Posted February 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 2 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said: Not sure on the exact species but last tree ( w/ the white, hanging, bell-like flowers ) before palm pic series is likely an Elaeocarpus.. I think it might be this one https://www.gardeningwithangus.com.au/elaeocarpus-eumundi-eumundi-quandong/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silas_Sancona Posted February 3, 2020 Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 8 hours ago, greysrigging said: I think it might be this one https://www.gardeningwithangus.com.au/elaeocarpus-eumundi-eumundi-quandong/ Comes close in leaf shape but all the pictures i could find suggest that species has a narrower overall profile.. and always has some degree of bronze colored, newer foliage.. looks alot like a slightly less colorful version of a common hedge-type shrub planted around California, Red tipped Photinia. Also looks like E. eumundi has a wide temperature tolerance, surprised it hasn't appeared anywhere in the Hort. Trade here in the U.S. yet.. The one in the pics. looks like one of the Rain forest species based on it appearing to be in the process of forming a buttressed / fluted trunk base. if you ever find any fruit around it on a future visit, that might help narrow the list of possible species.. E. angustifolius, grandis, sedentarius, and granitrus tend to have round fruit, while fruit on others like E. eumundi, reticulatus, some others tend to be more ovoid shaped.. at least from what pictures of all the species i looked up.. With upwards of 350 species in the Genus, with only roughly a handful commonly seen in cultivation ( maybe only 2 or 3 here in the states ) this specimen could be one of the rarer sp. or one of the common ones like E. granitrus.. Beautiful tree regardless.. Always a fun game of "Lets find out what i am" when the descriptive sign below something that catches your eye at a Botanical Garden ..is missing, lol.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysrigging Posted February 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 Another guy on our local FB Gardening Page has chimed in with a possible ID....he thinks it is an Asian species. " It's an Elaeocarpus species from SE Asia. I can't recall the name but it doesn't set fertile fruit, tried many times....." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silas_Sancona Posted February 3, 2020 Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 1 hour ago, greysrigging said: Another guy on our local FB Gardening Page has chimed in with a possible ID....he thinks it is an Asian species. " It's an Elaeocarpus species from SE Asia. I can't recall the name but it doesn't set fertile fruit, tried many times....." Very possible.. I know i'd read seed i'd collected off a tree back in Tampa could take up to two years to germinate, if they did at all.. Supposedly, you can speed up germination if you carefully break apart the seed itself and release the embryos from the hard " shell " they sit in. Btw, still trying to zero in on an ID on one of the trees you'd mentioned in the first set of pictures ( first four pics, with the colored foliage, below the pics of the Beauty Leaf ) From how stamens are arranged on the fading flower, and adjacent, unopened flower bud in one of the pictures, pretty sure it is a Legume in one of the sections of the Caesalpinioideae sub-family. Reminds me of one of the Bauhinia ( Orchid trees ) or Gigasiphon but obviously not in either Genus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysrigging Posted February 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 1 hour ago, Silas_Sancona said: Very possible.. I know i'd read seed i'd collected off a tree back in Tampa could take up to two years to germinate, if they did at all.. Supposedly, you can speed up germination if you carefully break apart the seed itself and release the embryos from the hard " shell " they sit in. Btw, still trying to zero in on an ID on one of the trees you'd mentioned in the first set of pictures ( first four pics, with the colored foliage, below the pics of the Beauty Leaf ) From how stamens are arranged on the fading flower, and adjacent, unopened flower bud in one of the pictures, pretty sure it is a Legume in one of the sections of the Caesalpinioideae sub-family. Reminds me of one of the Bauhinia ( Orchid trees ) or Gigasiphon but obviously not in either Genus. No tag on that one either....I'll ask the local gurus. Some on the local FB Gardening page are former and / or current employees at the Botanical gardens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysrigging Posted February 4, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2020 Well....that didn't take long.....sometimes Social Media is quite handy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baikiaea_insignis "I believe it is the Baikiaea insignias. This particular tree in the Gardens was seriously mauled by Cyclone Marcus so it is wonderful to see all that new regrowth!" 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silas_Sancona Posted February 4, 2020 Report Share Posted February 4, 2020 15 hours ago, greysrigging said: Well....that didn't take long.....sometimes Social Media is quite handy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baikiaea_insignis "I believe it is the Baikiaea insignias. This particular tree in the Gardens was seriously mauled by Cyclone Marcus so it is wonderful to see all that new regrowth!" That's it.. Looks like it is pretty easy from seed as well though you might have to collect directly off the tree since seed is apparently flung a few meters when the pods open. Useful Tropical Plants has a good write up on the species w/ additional info. /pictures. Roots apparently don't produce Nitrogen fixing nodules so it doesn't need to form a special relationship w/ soil borne bacteria to succeed in cultivation. Native to the same basic region of Africa as Erythrina abyssinica, and some African Acacias seen in cultivation in CA., AZ., and Florida. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysrigging Posted February 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2020 Took another stroll through the Gardens yesterday ( just over 100 acres so there's a lot to see ) Palms and trees..... Rain forest views A couple of huge shady trees.... no ID tags unfortunately This one might be a native to the Tiwi Islands to the north of Darwin... Some sort of Citrus ? Scented flowers No tag on this one, but a nice tree ! Not heard of this one.... Membrillo African Birch Tropical Fig 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysrigging Posted February 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2020 And some palms in the Gardens... livistona saribus No tag, but looks like an Aiphanes horrida ( or caryotifolia as I knew it it back in the day ). I used to have one at home that I grew from seed collected here in these Gardens... Pritchardia hillebrandii Syagrus coronata Licuala peltata Don't know what this evil lookin' spikey one is....Astrocaryum perhaps ? Here's some Livistonas I am familiar with....seen them in habitat many times whilst working in the Victoria River and Kimberley regions of North Western Australia. Livistona lorophylla.... see them in the Bungle Bungles..... And the livistona victoriae.... only found growing high up on the rocky escarpment country near the Vic River Roadhouse, 500klm south west of Darwin. Spectacular in their natural habitat ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HtownPalms Posted February 20, 2020 Report Share Posted February 20, 2020 What an amazing collection of plants. Thank you for taking the time to post them for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysrigging Posted April 19, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2020 Took another stroll around the Gardens today..... was a very steamy hot tropical type of day, the 'Wet' season is just about finished, but there is still a bit of humidity in the atmosphere.. Many flowering plants in full bloom with the last of the rains imminent.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew92 Posted April 19, 2020 Report Share Posted April 19, 2020 Amazing, beautiful gardens! I'd love to visit one day. I find that climate very interesting. It's amazing how all those trees and plants are able to cope with such a long dry period. The Roystonea seem to love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysrigging Posted April 19, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2020 7 hours ago, Matthew92 said: Amazing, beautiful gardens! I'd love to visit one day. I find that climate very interesting. It's amazing how all those trees and plants are able to cope with such a long dry period. The Roystonea seem to love it. They do a fair amount of 'Dry' season watering, mind you, once the plants are fully established ( like those Royals ) they tend to look after 'emselves...... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro Martin Posted April 26, 2020 Report Share Posted April 26, 2020 On 1/24/2020 at 6:14 AM, greysrigging said: Took a stroll through the local gardens today.... the 'Wet Season' has kicked into gear in the last week or so, with 300mm ( 12" ) falling since last weekend. Everything is in full on growing mode and the place looks healthy and alive. Recovering nicely from the severe storm / cyclone of March 2018. As usual I have pointed and clicked the camera at a few interesting plants, palms and trees. Bear with me and I'll upload some to this thread Spectacular tropical tree I have not seen in flower before A novelty tree... a few seeds found at the base of this one.... i have one of these in my back yard, but its not as good as this specimen ! A pretty tree with new growth... don't know its name.... That's an Illawarra Flame Tree with remnant flowers.... not really suited to our climate Some Madagascan trees.... some seeds might make their way home.... Couple of familiar ( but not common in local cultivation ) Not common in Darwin that's for sure.... Really, Amazing trees. Beautiful flowers that I had never seen before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysrigging Posted June 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2020 OK, another wander through the Darwin Gardens today, 6 months after the first pics I put up back in January. The last week of June is full on 'dry season', still warm to hot, but quite dry ( except for a brief overnight shower of a mm or 2 the other day courtesy of an east to west Gulf Line tracking across the Top End ) This June has been a hot one with daytime max temps running 1.7c above the long term average. The creeks in the Gardens have dried up and grass not irrigated has browned off. The rain forest section is still lush and green and cool, as it is irrigated during the dry months. Check out the spectacular Heliconias !! And as usual I can never capture on camera how nice it is wandering through the rain forest areas... And some dry season colour.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysrigging Posted July 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2020 There are a couple of large Saracca trees in the Gardens You see the odd one or 2 planted out in the suburbs. They are coming into flower atm. I think these ones pictured are sp. 'thaipingensis'. For further reading.... https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/3/1/3111 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysrigging Posted July 18, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2020 Another wander around the Gardens today.... been here 100's of times and always find something to look at.... How good is this grove of Livistona benthamii ? I have one in my back yard. Superb tropical species ! Some more pics of the lovely Yellow Saraca that is in full bloom atm. The Heliconia and Ginger section.... July is not the best month to view them, but even so, still pretty good ! Some more palms A nice little tree . The Nong Noch Vine (Petraeovitex bambusetorum) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysrigging Posted July 18, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2020 For the Coconut lovers out there ( haha... we still think of 'em as weeds at 12*S ) Historical pics of the Gardens with the first plantings of Coconuts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liper Posted November 17, 2020 Report Share Posted November 17, 2020 Sounds interesting and the pictures are great. Saw a similar botanical garden in Singapore while we were on Singapore malaysia tour package. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoatLockerGuns Posted January 7, 2021 Report Share Posted January 7, 2021 I visited the George Brown Botanical Gardens in Darwin, Australia during a port visit in September of 2007. They were amazing! Here are some shots from that trip: 2 Unified Theory of Palm Seed Germination (Where: bh = bottom heat, fs = fresh seed, L = love, m = magic, p = patience, and t = time) DISCLAIMER: Working theory; not yet peer reviewed. "Fronds come and go; the spear is life!" - Anonymous Palmtalker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHEP Posted January 28, 2021 Report Share Posted January 28, 2021 That was spectacular. Thank you so much for taking the time to share those pictures. Do you mind sharing MUST SEE palm gardens when we plan to visit after the pandemic? Don't think we would be going to the west coast, probably 7-10 days, after a trip to NZ South Island. Cecile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoatLockerGuns Posted January 28, 2021 Report Share Posted January 28, 2021 53 minutes ago, SHEP said: That was spectacular. Thank you so much for taking the time to share those pictures. Do you mind sharing MUST SEE palm gardens when we plan to visit after the pandemic? Don't think we would be going to the west coast, probably 7-10 days, after a trip to NZ South Island. Cecile If you are going to Queensland, the Cairns Botanical Garden, as well as the adjacent Mount Whitfield Conservation Park are really good (the MWCP is mainly for hiking, but a lot of cool native plants). Also, a visit to Kuranda would be in order if you are in the area. There is an abundance of flora, fauna, and culture to explore there. Take the train from Cairns, and the skyrail back, for more of an adventure. Don't forget to stop off at Barron Gorge National Park on your way back. Unified Theory of Palm Seed Germination (Where: bh = bottom heat, fs = fresh seed, L = love, m = magic, p = patience, and t = time) DISCLAIMER: Working theory; not yet peer reviewed. "Fronds come and go; the spear is life!" - Anonymous Palmtalker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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