Category: Blog post

Butterfly Gardening in Townsville
Image: Tawny Coster
Guest post by Malcolm Tattersall
Edited, updated, proofread – Admin
All images belong to: Malcolm Tattersall
This is a quick introduction to a subject which, like any hobby, can become as absorbing and delightful as we make it. My three levels are casual interest, getting serious, and (dare I say it) beginning to look obsessive.
The key to butterfly gardening is that we generally see butterflies in two kinds of places: where the adults can feed, and around the plants on which their caterpillars feed.
Males of most species can simply hang around the larval food plants for females who want to lay their eggs, leaving the area only for food. In extreme cases, the larval food plant’s flowers provide most of the adults’ food, and the whole life cycle revolves around the host plant.
Common Crow Caterpillar
Common Crow Egg
Cairns Birdwing Caterpillar
Cairns Birdwing Caterpillar
Scarlet Jezebel Caterpillars
Orchard Swallowtail Chrysalis
Level 1: “I just love seeing lots of butterflies in my garden.”
Nearly all adult butterflies can feed from any kind of flower, so anyone wanting to attract butterflies to their garden should begin by simply providing lots of flowers.
- A wide variety is good because their flowering seasons will extend through most of the year.
- Particular species are not important at this stage.
- Butterflies don’t care whether the plant is native or exotic, although that becomes significant at the next level.
Image: Orchard Swallowtail Male
Level 2: “I wish there were more butterflies in the world!”
Overall, it is more useful to provide host plants for caterpillars than nectar plants for adults.
- Growing the host plants means that you end up with more butterflies, many of which will stay in your garden.
- There is a downside: host plants are eaten! This might trouble some gardeners, but a fully functional ecosystem keeps plants healthier overall.
- Minimise pesticide use, as anything that kills unwanted insects can also kill caterpillars.
Caterpillars, unlike adults, are fussy eaters, needing particular kinds of plants. Many will flourish on any plant in a family (e.g., citrus), but others demand a particular species.
Clearwing Swallowtail on Durata
Bordered Rustic
Brown Ochre
Who’s Who and Who Eats What
Butterflies are grouped into five families:
- Swallowtails (Papilionidae): Most of our largest butterflies, e.g., Cairns Birdwing (female wingspan up to 150mm) and Ulysses. Smaller Swallowtails are between 55–65mm.
- Nymphs (Nymphalidae): Crows, Soldiers, Tigers, etc. Many are similar in size to Swallowtails.
- Whites and Yellows (Pieridae): Migrants and Jezebels. Some are smaller.
- Skippers (Hesperiidae) and Blues (Lycaenidae): Smaller butterflies. Many are extremely loyal to a single species of plant (e.g., Plumbago Blue only uses Plumbago).
Skippers and Blues use a wide range of plants, but many are species-specific. Other families tend to semi-specialise on a group of plants. For instance, Milkweed Butterflies (a sub-group of Nymphs) all prefer Milkweeds.
Fortunately, the larger butterflies are easiest to cater for. Planting representatives of these families will attract many larger butterflies:
- Annonaceae (Custard Apples)
- Citrus
- Cassia
- Capparaceae (especially Capparis)
- Apocynaceae (especially Milkweeds)
Beyond that, aim for a diversity of native species.
The Bush Garden Nursery list has a column showing which plants attract butterflies.
Guide to Bush Garden Plants
Image: Lesser Wanderer
Level 3: Gardening for Particular Species
Gardening for specific species of butterfly will be covered another time. If you can’t wait, these references will set you on the right track:
- Butterflies of Australia by Don Herbison-Evans and Stella Crossley – a comprehensive site showing all five families, indexed by life stage and species, with photos and host plants.
- Books: A Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia: their life histories and larval host plants by Garry Sankowsky.
March 11, 2026
Your Garden is a Sanctuary—Responding to QSoE Report – 2024
From Local News to Local Action: Responding to Queensland’s Threatened Flora.
This post was inspired by a recent ABC News article (Thu 9 Oct, 2025) reporting on the state of Queensland’s native species. The urgency of the situation is clear: the State of the Environment Report 2024 (QSoE) found an additional 66 flora species were listed as threatened between 2019 and 2024.
This worsening trend is driven by key pressures like land clearing and invasive pests. While groups, such as, Queensland Conservation Council (QCC) call for $200 million in government funding, CDTLI is focused on a direct, local solution. The state’s ecological challenge is massive, but as the QSoE Report indicates, the necessary recovery work starts on the ground, with community action.
Your Backyard as a Biodiversity Sanctuary.
The scientific data is clear: habitat loss is the primary threat. Our response is direct: restoring habitat one plant at a time. By cross-referencing the official State Threatened Flora List with our current inventory, the Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare Inc. (CDTLI) Bush Nursery is proud to offer a limited stock of species that are officially on the path to recovery.
Bush Nursery
By choosing these seedlings, you are not just gardening; you are participating in a statewide recovery effort, transforming your garden into a vital sanctuary for vulnerable flora species.
Vulnerable Flora Stock List:
Cheilocostus potierae (Native Crepe Ginger):
Propagating this rare ginger helps secure a living archive of its unique genetic lineage.
Gardenia psidioides (Glennie River Gardenia):
Planting this local form of the native Gardenia restores critical habitat and fights the impacts of fragmentation.
Graptophyllum ilicifolium (Mount Blackwood Holly):
This vulnerable shrub is an essential asset in our efforts to combat the devastating effects of adverse fire regimes.
Neisosperma kilneri (Ornate-fruited Neisosperma):
Adding this rainforest tree to your yard is a direct, authoritative response to the overall worsening trend of native vegetation loss.
Why Local Action is the Only Way Forward.
The QSoE Report specifically champions environmental management that relies on locally-led, regionally-coordinated blueprints and community groups like Landcare. It confirms that you, the community member, are best placed to understand and address local risks.
Every tube stock you purchase from CDTLI directly supports a co-designed process aimed at achieving “whole-of-landscape outcomes” right here in the Townsville region. Your decision to plant one of these four threatened species is a powerful, authoritative response to a major state environmental finding.
Be the solution.
Visit the CDTLI Landcare Bush Garden Nursery to secure your threatened native species and make your garden a critical part of Queensland’s ecological recovery.
Bush Nursery Location
Resources and Further Reading:
Queensland State of the Environment Report 2024.
The 2024 Queensland State of the Environment Report (QSoE) provides a comprehensive assessment of the state’s environmental health, covering the four years to June 2024. The report identifies a mixed picture, with positive signs like the end of drought declarations in 2024, but also highlights negative trends such as an increase in threatened species and worsening native vegetation decline. It analyzes 124 indicators across five themes: Biodiversity, Terrestrial ecosystems, Heritage, Pollution, and Climate.
QSoE Data Dashboard: Explore the interactive data on threatened ecosystems and species.
Inspiration for This Post:
Queensland government urged to take stronger action on conservation as number of threatened species rises.
Image Attribution
1. Feature Image: Cheilocostus potierae (Native Crepe Ginger). Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
2. Cheilocostus potierae (Native Crepe Ginger). Akos Kokai, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
3. Gardenia psidioides (Glennie River Gardenia): Ethel Aardvark, CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
4. Graptophyllum ilicifolium (Mount Blackwood Holly): Amos T Faichild, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons.
5. Neisosperma kilneri (Ornate-fruited Neisosperma): Poyt448, Peter Woodard, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
October 13, 2025
Lorikeet with Black Beans
Image: Mature pods of the Black Bean tree (Castanospermum australe), a significant native species found in the local coastal dry tropics.
Guest post by Malcolm Tattersall
Edited, updated, proofread – Admin
Feature image: by sandid from Pixabay
No, this isn’t a recipe.
The Black Bean in my title is a local tree, Castanospermum australe, and you wouldn’t want to cook with its seeds because they are too big and too toxic. Two of our neighbours in Mundingburra have well-grown specimens, and I am simply taking this opportunity to share an October photo of its attractive flowers.
I know the tree as a local species but didn’t realise just how limited its range was until I looked it up: a patchy distribution along our tropical coast, and that’s all. Nor did I realise just how high it can grow – forty metres! (I wonder if our neighbours know, but I’m not going to tell them in case they start worrying and get their trees chopped down. We need all the trees we can get, and these are very beautiful.)
Black Bean timber is both beautiful and rot-resistant. This latter quality has seen it used for fenceposts, but that seems a terrible waste when it could be used to make such attractive furniture.
According to the Australian National Herbarium, “it is native to coastal rainforests and beaches in Australia from around Lismore, New South Wales, to the Iron Range, Cape York Peninsula, on the Queensland coast and 160 km west to the Bunya Mountains. It grows in moist, fertile, well-drained soils on terraces on the side of mountains or along the banks of rivers and streams.”
Black Bean flowers. Ethel Aardvark, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
It also grows in many Townsville primary school grounds, where the heavy seed pods tempt children into mischief. This beautiful native tree is an important part of our local ecosystem, and Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare Inc. encourages its planting and protection.
Visit the Nursery for Black Bean seedlings
April 28, 2025
Flowerpot snakes
Guest post by Malcolm Tattersall
Edited, updated, proofread – Admin
Feature Image: A tiny Flowerpot Snake. Rushen, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Tiny Garden Surprises
We were moving lots of pot-plants last October, planting out many of them and re-potting others. One day, while doing so, I disturbed what I thought were a few strange worms. All of them were typical worm size, perhaps 8 – 12 cm long and shoelace-thick. Most were black, but one was a delicate lilac colour; and they were all very active, wriggling for their lives until they could vanish into the soil. When I handled them, I found them very dry and slippery, which puzzled me. It didn’t intrigue me enough to stop work, however, or I might have trapped them for closer observation and discovered that they weren’t worms at all but snakes.
This non-native species, hailing from Southeast Asia, likely arrived in Australia via boat cargo. First spotted in Darwin and the Torres Strait, it reached Townsville by 1998 and now thrives from the Pilbara to Brisbane. Its secret weapon? All are female, reproducing parthenogenetically, so one stowaway can spark a population.
A reptile chart at the Bush Garden Nursery alerted me to the fact that I had been playing with Flowerpot Snakes, Indotyphlops braminus.
The species isn’t native to Australia but is a fairly recent arrival from SE Asia, probably arriving in boat cargo. Like the Mourning Gecko, its invasiveness is enhanced by the fact that it is parthenogenetic; that is, all individuals are females, and a new population can be started by a single stowaway. It was first noticed in Darwin and the Torres Strait and was first reported in Townsville in 1998. It is now found in scattered populations from at least the Pilbara to Brisbane.
I was ready for the next one we found and was able to get a photo (link below to original article and photos). I have to say she wasn’t the easiest portrait subject, being very dark, quite small, and quite uncooperative).
She (all of them are female, remember) was about 12 cm long, which means she was close to fully grown. Her head was just slightly rounder (blunter) than her tail, although I wasn’t really sure which was which until I saw her tongue flicking out since the eyes are almost invisible, and I couldn’t see the mouth at all. The scales are tiny, shiny, and close-fitting, obviously designed to help her slip through the dirt but making her difficult to hold on to without injuring her.
Key facts about Flowerpot Snakes:
- Size: 5–15 cm, the world’s smallest snake.
- Appearance: Charcoal gray, silver-gray, or purplish; pale underside; head and tail look similar.
- Behavior: Energetic, light-shy, burrowing into soil or leaf litter.
- Eyes: Tiny, near-blind, sensing only light intensity.
- Diet: Ant and termite larvae, eggs, and pupae.
Wikipedia: Indotyphlops braminus
Adults measure 2–4 inches (5.1–10.2 cm) long, uncommonly to 6 inches (15 cm). It is the smallest known snake species. The head and tail are superficially similar as the head and neck are indistinct. Unlike other snakes, the head scales resemble the body scales. The eyes are barely discernible as small dots under the head scales. … Coloration ranges from charcoal gray, silver-gray, light yellow-beige, purplish, or infrequently albino, the ventral surface more pale. … Behavior ranges from lethargic to energetic, quickly seeking the cover of soil or leaf litter to avoid light. … The tiny eyes are covered with translucent scales, rendering these snakes almost entirely blind. The eyes cannot form images, but are still capable of registering light intensity. … Their diet consists of the larvae, eggs, and pupae of ants and termites.
The Wikipedia page also has the best collection of names for the species. The only one which might cause some confusion is Ramphotyphlops braminus, which is the name given to them by Steve Wilson in his Field Guide to Reptiles of Queensland and JCU on their wildlife pages. Australia does have its own blind snakes, all in the genus Ramphotyphlops, and Queensland is home to 18 species. They are all bigger than the Flowerpot Snake (up to 400 mm) but are otherwise very similar: non-venomous, subterranean predators of ants and termites.
Blind Snake Rémi Bigonneau, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
This article first appeared on Green Path, Malcolm’s wildlife and environment blog, in October 2019.
The Flowerpot Snake, while not native to our region, is another example of the diverse wildlife we sometimes encounter. Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare Inc. encourages responsible gardening practices to protect our local ecosystems.
April 28, 2025
The Importance of Soil Type
Guest post by Timothy Doolan
Edited, updated, proofread – Admin
Choosing native plants for your garden or revegetation project? Consider your soil type to ensure thriving plants and a healthy ecosystem.
Townsville’s soils vary widely. Richer soils line waterways and floodplains, like Hermit Park, Mysterton, and Mundingburra, while poorer soils dominate flood-free flats, such as Kirwan, Currajong, and West End.
Image: Btcpg, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Most local soils, typical of Australia, hold few nutrients and little water, making local provenance native plants—adapted to these conditions and the region’s climate—essential.
Even local plants vary in suitability due to Townsville’s diverse soil patchwork and biomes. So, which species suit which soils?
A 1970s soil survey, available on the Queensland Government Publications website, offers a detailed guide. Paired with its Land Capability Map, it highlights soil types and their agricultural potential—perfect for planning without a personal soil survey. Generally:
- Poorer soils in flood-free areas favor dryland species like gums, wattles, and grasses.
- Richer, younger alluvial soils near waterways support diverse, rainforest-like gardens.
Soil type is just one factor, but matching plants to your soil saves water, boosts growth, and nurtures Townsville’s biodiversity. CDTLI’s native plant expertise can help you dig in.
Learn more about Soil Management.
April 28, 2025
Funding grants 2024-25
Our non-profit group, Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare Inc, relies on grant funding for our Landcare sites and upgrades to equipment and facilities. The Townsville City Council supports us with funding to cover the Project Officer position. Other funding support is listed below:
Current Projects
- Community Sustainability Action Grant round 2 $33,809 June 2020
- Skilling Queenslanders for Work Flood Recovery Crew $167,000 October 2019 – Oct 2020
- Water Smart Package – Plant Supply $50,000 June 2020
- Communities Environment Program $14,089 December 2020
Completed Projects
- Community Benefits Fund $12,000 upgrade of Bush Garden Nursery
- Queensland Community Foundation grant $3,800 for iPads
- Gambling Community Benefit Fund $19,182.35 for new water trailer
- Queensland Airports Ltd. grant $1,000 mulching mower for Mundy Ck
- National Landcare Program Environmental Small Grants $12,280 for Bohle Wetlands site
- Transport and Main Roads Goondaloo Creek revegetation $9,160 (some ongoing works)
These grants fuel our mission to grow Townsville’s green future.
April 23, 2025
The importance of local provenance native plants
Local Provenance: Why Native Plants Belong.
Guest post by Christine Dalliston
Edited, updated, proofread – Admin
Image: Hairpin banksia, by sandid from Pixabay
Local provenance refers to native plant populations that naturally thrive in a specific area, adapted to its unique conditions.
Many native species, like the Hairpin banksia (Banksia spinulosa), grow across vast regions, from coastal Victoria to Cairns. Yet, plants in one area differ genetically from their cousins elsewhere. A Hairpin banksia in southern Victoria, for instance, has distinct traits compared to one in Cairns, just as coastal plants vary from those in the mountains. These unique populations, called provenances, reflect local adaptations.
For true local provenance, plants are grown from seeds of parent plants within the same population—or as close as possible. Using seeds from distant regions can weaken a population’s resilience by diluting genes honed over time for local conditions. Over generations, such mixing may even prevent new species from evolving.
Preserving local provenance protects biodiversity and strengthens native plants against climate change. At CDTLI, we champion these local treasures to keep Townsville’s ecosystems thriving.
April 23, 2025
Join or Renew Your Membership Online
CDTLI offers membership options to support our revegetation efforts in Townsville.
Alongside our classic annual membership, we now have a family membership for up to four people, a Frequent Planter Membership with discounts at our Bush Garden Nursery, and a Business Sponsorship for local businesses to champion our landcare projects.
Every dollar supports our local landcare activities across the Townsville region.
Join or renew your membership today using the secure Square payment platform. Memberships run annually, and you can pay by card with the links below.
- Basic Membership – $10 – [Subscribe Link]
- Family Membership – $35 – [Subscribe Link]
- Frequent Planter Membership – $30 – [Subscribe Link]
- Business Sponsorship – $250 – [Subscribe Link]
Annual Membership Plans – Details
Membership cards, unlocking nursery discounts, will be available at the Bush Garden Nursery after the membership year begins.
Thank you for growing our community’s green future!
April 22, 2025
Bottlebrush or Paperbark? Callistemon or Melaleuca?
Guest post by Malcolm Tattersall
Edited, updated, proofread by Frank Leonard
Feature image by Michelle Pitzel from Pixabay
Bottlebrush or Paperbark? Unraveling the Naming Mystery
It all started with a curious line in our local newspaper’s gardening column: “The Tinaroo Bottlebrush (Melaleuca recurva but still sold as Callistemon recurvis) is…” This made me wonder, like many gardeners might, “Isn’t a Melaleuca a paperbark?” A little digging revealed that the answer isn’t as straightforward as I once thought.
Callistemon-bottlebrush-red. by Dan from Pixabay
A Naming Puzzle: Untangling Common Names
We use two kinds of names for plants: common names and scientific names. In the case of bottlebrushes and paperbarks, both can be a bit puzzling. Common names often describe a key feature – paperbarks are named for their distinctive papery bark, and bottlebrushes for their flowers that look like bottle brushes.
However, nature doesn’t always follow our neat categories! Some bottlebrushes can have quite papery bark, and some paperbarks can sport flowers that look remarkably like bottlebrushes. I even have a scrawny tree in my own garden with flaky bark and vibrant red, bottlebrush-like flowers. So, is it a paperbark or a bottlebrush? The truth is, when it comes to common names, you could call it either.
Melaleuca-squarrosa-white. Image by Linda Pom from Pixabay
The Science Behind the Shift: Simplifying the Botanical Merger
Scientific names, usually in Latin, are meant to be more precise. But even these can change as plant scientists learn more about how different plants are related. For a long time, bottlebrushes (genus Callistemon) and paperbarks (genus Melaleuca) were classified as separate groups.
Broad-leaved paperbark (Melaleuca viridiflora). Summerdrought, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
However, in 2006, a botanist named Lyn Craven proposed that the differences between them weren’t significant enough to keep them apart. He argued that the way their stamens (the pollen-carrying parts of the flower) are arranged shows that Callistemon actually blends into Melaleuca. Because the name Melaleuca was established earlier, the scientific community has been considering moving all bottlebrushes into the Melaleuca genus. So, if you’re being botanically precise, your bottlebrush is now likely considered a type of paperbark.
This change isn’t universally accepted just yet. You might still see plants labeled as Callistemon in some nurseries and older resources. Even the Australian Plant Census, a key authority on plant names, hadn’t fully adopted this change as of 2018. It’s a reminder that our understanding of the natural world is always evolving.
Highlighting Our Local Beauty: The Melaleuca viridiflora Story in Townsville
Getting back to my own garden mystery, my red-flowering, flaky-barked tree turned out to be a Melaleuca viridiflora. While the flowers are typically cream or greenish, red forms do occur here in the Townsville region. So, it was always a paperbark and now, scientifically, it’s confirmed as a Melaleuca.
Broad-leaved Paperbark (Melaleuca viridiflora) Lwalsh84, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Melaleuca viridiflora distribution. Summerdrought, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Bringing it to Your Garden: Connecting with CDTLI’s Nursery
Whether you’re curious about bottlebrushes, paperbarks, or the fascinating world of plant names, Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare Inc.’s Bush Garden Nursery is a fantastic resource right here in Townsville! We stock a wonderful variety of local native plants, including many Melaleuca species (some of which you might have previously known as Callistemon), perfect for our climate and great for attracting local wildlife.
Come visit us to explore our collection and get expert advice for your own garden.
Rowes Bay Native Nursery
Wildlife attracted to Melaleuca viridiflora:
Broad-leaved Paperbark. Other common names include Broad-leaved Tea Tree and Paperbark Tea Tree.
Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus). Image by Beverly Buckley from Pixabay
Scarlet Honeyeater (Myzomela sanguinolenta). Image by magee from Pixabay
Birds: Honeyeaters, lorikeets, and other nectar-feeding birds are drawn to the abundant flowers.
Bees and other pollinators: The flowers provide nectar and pollen, supporting these important insects.
Other wildlife: The plant can also provide habitat and food for a range of other creatures, including ants, butterfly larvae, and certain orchid species.
Concluding Thought
So, the next time you see a bottlebrush or a paperbark, remember their close connection. While the names might sometimes cause confusion, their beauty and importance to our local ecosystem are undeniable. Happy gardening.
This original article first appeared on my blog (Malcolm Tattersall), Green Path, in 2018.
Notes

The analysis of the original blog post revealed several areas for improvement in terms of clarity, accuracy, and structural flow. The revised post / draft aims to address these issues by simplifying the explanation of the Callistemon-to-Melaleuca merger, adopting a more logical structure, and directly connecting the information to Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare Inc.’s Bush Garden Nursery.

It is recommended to verify the current status of the Callistemon–Melaleuca merger with the Australian Plant Census to ensure the most up-to-date information is reflected in the blog post.
Additionally, confirming the current naming conventions used at CDTLI’s Bush Garden Nursery for plants formerly known as Callistemon will enhance the post’s accuracy and relevance for local gardeners.
The revised draft strives to adhere to CDTLI’s style guide by using accessible language and maintaining a warm, engaging tone. The emphasis on the local context of Townsville and the direct promotion of the Bush Garden Nursery aim to align with CDTLI’s mission and the “Grow Local, Thrive Local” ethos.
Acknowledging Sources
The information presented in this article reflects the current scientific understanding regarding the classification of bottlebrushes.
This understanding is largely based on the extensive work of Dr. Lyn Craven, particularly his research published in 2006 which proposed the combination of the Callistemon and Melaleuca genera due to insufficient distinctiveness.
The acceptance of this reclassification is reflected in the Australian Plant Census (APC), which is recognized by organizations like the Australian Native Plants Society (Australia) (ANPSA) as a key authority on Australian plant nomenclature.
Information from the ANPSA website was also helpful in understanding the rationale behind the name changes and the current status of their adoption.
Works cited
List of References/Sources Mentioned in the Original Article
Here are the specific sources or authorities referred to within Malcolm Tattersall’s original post / article.
- Australian Native Plants Society (Australia) website: Callistemon/Melaleuca merger discussions
- Craven, L.A. (2006). New Combinations in Melaleuca for Australian Species of Callistemon (Myrtaceae). Novon, 16(4), 468–475. This is the key scientific paper. You should be able to find this via Google Scholar or botanical library databases (it might be behind a paywall, but abstracts are often available).
- Australian Plant Census (APC): This is the recognized authority on plant nomenclature in Australia. You can search their database directly online. Search result pages or summary pages about Melaleuca/Callistemon if available).
- Green Path (Malcolm Tattersall’s blog): The original source of the post. You could potentially upload the original 2018 post if you find it online.
April 15, 2025
How the “Coronavirus Tree” Got Its Name
Guest Post by: Adam Goulding.
Edited, updated, proofread by Admin.
Image by Thanh Pham from Pixabay
Before COVID-19 paused operations at CDTLI’s Bush Garden Nursery, our Saturday sessions buzzed with activity, drawing walkers, cyclists, and runners. One morning, a couple wandered in during our volunteers’ smoko, only to leave disappointed—we weren’t the coffee shop they’d hoped for!
On our final open Saturday, four runners stopped by, eager to explore native plants. One showed me a photo on their phone, keeping a careful 1.5-meter distance. It captured the round flower head of what they dubbed the “coronavirus tree”—and I could see why! Its spiky, orb-like bloom resembled a magnified coronavirus particle.
“Australia’s ‘coronavirus tree’” by Julia Hazel, derived from Nauclea orientalis by Tony Rodd and CDC’s SARS-CoV-2 render, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
I identified it as the Leichhardt Tree, Nauclea orientalis, and pointed to one growing at the Nursery. For botanical buffs, its distinctive flower had given away the species. From now on, I’ll call Nauclea orientalis the “coronavirus tree.” I’m planting one in my garden as a living memory of the global pandemic.
April 15, 2025