Native Urban Greening Series – Episode 5: Unique products plus new & improved varieties
As Plantrite has grown we have placed an importance on developing Australian native plants species into varieties which can be useful in our modern day landscape.
This episode gives you a snapshot of what we’re endeavoring to achieve at Plantrite by creating varieties which will suit your projects soil and conditions.
Video Transcript – Unique products
Sometimes as nurseries grow and develop they identify plant species that are improved forms and these plants can be subjected to Plant Breeders Rights or PBR.
Now this is effectively a commercial license or registration of those varieties and Plantrite have been working with the country’s leading plant breeders and developers to bring these plants to market.
The Plantrite Nursery team has nurtured an exclusive range that I thought I would come and learn more about.
David Lullfitz leads the team here and whilst this organisation definitely thinks globally David’s family owned and run business remains grounded and humble; which makes for a great culture to work in.
Interview David Lullfitz, Managing Director Plantrite Australia
Trevor: David you and your team have done a lot of work when it comes to sourcing new and improved varieties and this is a good example,right? …
David: Yes, it is an Olearia axillaris ‘Mini’ PBR so it’s a Perth local plant but it’s a super compact form. This is absolute mature height. So, under waist high. Super tight, never needs cutting basically. Perfect for seaside, limestone any new developments or medium plantings – once it’s established you won’t need any water.
This is a prostate form of acacia saligna we are calling it green mulch for pretty obvious reasons and we think it’s a true winner.
Trevor: Now it’s very flat and low. How would you use it?
David: It’s ideal for verges, medians, it’s a quick grower so it will cover a lot of ground really quickly and give it a nice green effect. It’s a little tricky to propagate but we’re slowly getting the hang of it and we are getting some good volume come through now.
Trevor: There’s been a considerable amount of innovation over the last decade with things like grafted gums. You guys have really taken this to a new level here in Western Australia since the events of the borders being closed due to myrtle rust.
David: Yes, it’s been an opportunity and a lot of hard work in it too. But there’s really been a demand for really nice native trees for streetscapes and consistency for product which is what grafting gives us.
This is Summer Red (Corymbia Hybrid ‘Summer Red’ PBR) and this has been around for some time.
Probably one of the large volumes we grow now. We have grown 3,000 sitting here ready to go and we’re developing new colours and new forms and that’s pretty exciting.
Trevor: It’s one thing to grow top quality plants but it’s a whole new level when you care about how these plants performed long after they leave the nursery and are delivered to the client. This is the Plantrite philosophy: they really care about how they perform and want to make sure they do really well long after they have been delivered.
This is all a part of their goal to green our cities with native flora.
Narration by Trevor Cochrane for Plantrite Wholesale Native Nursery.
