New species of Grampians flora have been discovered that will soon feature in WAMA’s Grampians/Gariwerd Endemic Botanic Garden.
Working in partnership with RBGV
WAMA has been working closely with the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (RBGV) on the development of our Endemic Garden from the initial planting in 2022.
RBGV’s knowledge and experience in plant propagation has been invaluable to develop the garden that features the majority of the 70 plant varieties only found within the Grampians region, creating what has been described as a ‘botanic microcosm’ of the regions flora.
Recent field work
Under the appropriate permits, WAMA volunteers and botanist Neil Marriott and wife Wendy have been assisting RBGV with survey and mapping rare and endangered plants across the Grampians. This work requires walking through thick bushland and rocky mountains to locate and collect samples of these precious species.
Over two days they identified the endemic Hovea corrickiae in the Victoria Range, a beautiful prostrate form of Acacia farinosa, some specimens of Callistemon wimmerensis (pictured) and a rare form of Grevillea ilicifolia from the Black Ranges.
“It is so rewarding to find these rare plants growing in the wild and untouched far into the bush” said Neil Marriot botanist and WAMA volunteer.
“We were looking for some beautiful natural hybrids of Grevillea alpina and Grevillea lavandulacea, but due to the terrible heat of last summer we were unable to locate them.
This demonstrates how important it is to find these rare and endangered plants so we can propagate them and keep these wonderful native species alive.”
Next steps
Cuttings from the plants will be propagated by the RBGV Cranbourne and made available to WAMA once ready to plant out in the Endemic Garden.
Showcasing almost 70 endemic plant varieties that only grow within the Grampians region the Grampans/Gariwerd Endemic Botanic Garden is a vital component of WAMA and Australia’s botanic gardens network.
Image: Callistemon wimmerensis, listed as critically endangered
