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Sambucus gaudichaudiana, or native elderberry, is a small, tender shrub reaching about 1 m in height, found in cool, damp forests in the Otways and south-eastern Australia. Belonging to the same genus as the European elderberry (S. nigra), its fruits are edible and can be easily collected or enjoyed by birds. The plant often dies back each season to a perennial rootstock and prefers a shady aspect, flowering mainly in late spring and summer. The name Sambucus is derived from the Greek word sambuke, referring to a musical instrument (likely a type of harp) traditionally made from European elderwood, while gaudichaudiana honours Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupré, a renowned French botanist and pharmacist. You can buy native elderberry plants from the Shrub Club Community Nursery. If you’d like to learn more about local native plants, the Southern Otway Landcare Network (SOLN) runs a weekly plant walk over the summer, usually departing from the office at 69 Nelson St at 2:30 pm each Tuesday.

Disa bracteata or the South African Weed Orchid is an introduced environmental weed about 30cm tall from South Africa that only arrived in Victoria in 1994 and has started to spread in the Otways. Like all orchids, it produces dust-like seeds that are so tiny they can be carried vast distances by the wind, aiding its invasive spread, but unlike most orchids it is self-pollinating and doesn’t rely on insects. It has an underground tuber that makes it difficult to pull out and rapidly outcompetes native vegetation, including native orchids, by forming dense colonies. Disa comes from a character in Norse mythology often associated with beauty and mysticism, which aligns with the elegant and often intricate nature of orchids. Bracteata is derived from the Latin word “bractea,” meaning thin plate or bract which refers to the plant’s prominent bracts (small, leaf-like structures located beneath its flowers). If you have Weed Orchid on your property, please remove them or get in touch with your local Landcare group to get help. If you see it in the bush or elsewhere, please pull it out and/or record it on iNaturalist so we know where to find it. If you’d like to replace it with something similar, the Shrub Club Community Nursery has just started growing native orchids which should be available soon or if you’d like to learn more about environmental weeds SOLN (Southern Otway Landcare Network) runs a weekly plant walk over the summer season usually leaving from the office at 69 Nelson St at 2:30pm on the first Tuesday.

Patersonia occidentalis or Tall Purple Flag is a hardy, highly ornamental, densely tufted native iris with masses of lovely purple flowers throughout spring and summer. Found across southern Australia it grows in damp sandy heathlands in the Otways (such as Marengo FR) and grows well in sunshine or partial shade. There are 16 different species of Patersonia, (named after William Paterson (1755–1810), a Scottish botanist) all found only within Australia though only two are present in the Otways. Patersonia occidentalis (meaning western) can be separated from Patersonia fragilis by its shorter, broader leaves and the fact that its flowers are longer than the leave (hence the name, Tall Purple Flag). You can buy Tall Purple Flag from the Shrub Club Community Nursery or if you’d like to learn more about local native plants SOLN (Southern Otway Landcare Network) runs a weekly plant walk over the summer usually leaving from the office at 69 Nelson St at 2:30pm each Tuesday.

Clematis microphylla or Small-leaved Clematis is a variable, attractive climbing vine quite common in drier forest and coastal scrub, capable of scrambling up to 5 m or more through adjacent plants. It adapts well to gardens with white starry male and female flowers appearing on separate plants in late winter and spring followed by a mass of fluffy seeds (which gives it another name, old man’s beard, though this can refer to a few different plants).

The Small-leaved Clematis is found throughout SE Australia while the genus is found all over the world. Clematis comes from the Greek word klema, meaning “vine branch” which reflects the climbing habit typical of clematis species, while microphylla is Latin for “small leaves” (micro meaning “small” and phylla meaning “leaf”).

Small-leaved Clematis has a number of uses and including as a remedy for headaches, colds, and other ailments. Its leaves and stems, when crushed, release an aromatic scent that is believed to help relieve symptoms. Sometimes, inhaling the scent of crushed leaves can help clear sinuses and ease respiratory issues.

You can buy Clematis from the Shrub Club Community Nursery or if you’d like to learn more about local native plants SOLN (Southern Otway Landcare Network) runs a weekly plant walk over the summer usually leaving from the office at 69 Nelson St at 2:30pm each Tuesday.