Cabbages
Brassica oleracea var.
capitata
BRASSICACEAE
Form: There are many
kinds of cabbage, including many Asian varieties. Generally cabbages form a
heart of enclosed leaves, though the Portuguese cabbage is more open, like kale
(after all, all the cabbage family are mutations from an ancient kind, which
have been selected over a very long period). Some are upright, and less
thick-leaved than "normal" cabbage.
Leaf colour can be
bright or light green, red or almost white, smooth or crinkly (Savoy types).
There is a variety
called Portugal Summer cabbage that is open leaved and used for its crunchy
leaf stems. Walking stick cabbage provides a useful stem.
Tolerances: There are
cabbages for all times of the year. Mostly planted in early winter, they take a
few months to mature, and are ready to harvest in spring.
They do not thrive over
25'C, but can handle very cold conditions for short periods.
Cabbages need rich soil,
with plenty of nitrogen for leafy growth.
Pests: mainly cabbage
white caterpillars (see cabbage white caterpillar control).
Uses: Edible plant, a
wide variety of shapes and sizes, for all times of year and many culinary uses.
Can be used raw, cooked or pickled.
Leaves can be used to
wrap food for steaming, and there are hundreds of ways for the various kinds to
be used for food - including national dishes such as sauerkraut from Germany,
kimchee from Korea and Dutch coleslaw.
Large, raw cabbage
leaves can be used for cooling by drawing away heat, as when newly lactating
mums need some relief.
Cabbage White
Caterpillar Control.
One way to reduce attack
by cabbage moths/cabbage white butterfly caterpillars is to hide your
cabbages/Brassica's among other plants, so the green-blue leaf colour cannot be
seen or smelt so easily by the moths/ butterflies. This can be achieved by
planting other flowering plants nearby to attract predators.
Gone to seed vegetables
(such as turnips, Brassica's, dill, carrots, etc) will flower over a long
period, and smelly plants like tomatoes will also confuse pests.
Try planting your
broccoli somewhere in deep disguise amongst a flower and herb bed for maximum
protection without the use of chemicals.
There are a couple of
kinds of small parasitic wasps that do a great deal towards reducing
caterpillar numbers.
Paper wasps and ground
beetles also like a feast of tasty green caterpillars.
Bacillus thuringiensis
(B.t.) kills leaf-eating caterpillars of all kinds. It is a kind of bacterium
that only affects the 'stomach' of caterpillars, causing them to die. This
product can be sprayed on the plants when the pests start to appear, and it
only affects caterpillars, which eat the sprayed leaves.
Other non-toxic controls
include sprinkling flour on the leaves to clog up the insects' surfaces or
simply picking the little critters off.
The signs to look for
include caterpillar poo on the leaves below where they are hiding. Check under
the leaves and pluck 'em off.
Cornmeal or rye flour
can also be used as a dust, causing death upon ingestion. All these methods
must be reapplied after rain or watering.
It is very important
that Brassica's do not get planted in the same place for more than a year, as
nematodes and other problems can build-up.
Caesalpinia/Pride of
Barbados
Caesalpinia pulcherrima
CAESALPINIACEAE
Form: Semi-deciduous,
erect or spreading, prickly grey-leafed shrub to 3 m x 3 m. It has greyish
fern-like foliage, typical of the family, which provides light shade.
Fast-growing. The plant has bad smelling foliage if you brush near it.
Tolerances: Drought
resistant but grows faster with summer water. Copes with full sun and coastal
wind conditions. Enjoys tropical to subtropical conditions. Plant Caesalpinia
seeds in free draining, moisture retentive soil.
Propagate: Very easy to
grow from seed.
Uses: Nitrogen fixing
for the soil. Ornamental plant which, in summer, has striking red and yellow
showy flowers, followed by hard brown pods.
Calendula
Calendula officinalis
ASTERACEAE
Form: Annual or
short-lived perennial herb to 60 cm. Calendula has a long flowering season, and
flower at many times of the year. The colours vary from bright yellow to burnt
orange shades.
Tolerances: Plant in a
sunny position. Adapts to any soil as long as it's well drained.
Drought and frost
resistant for short periods.
Uses: The flowers have
many medicinal uses, from treating burns and grazes, to eye lotion. The petals
are edible and can be used in salads or used to dye rice dishes.
Makes an excellent
border plant.
Cape gooseberry
Physalis peruviana
SOLANACEAE
Form: This sprawling
perennial shrub, 1 m x 1 m plus, can become a bit rampant if unpruned. It is a
self-pollinating, fruiting member of the potato family. The ripe yellow fruit
have many seeds and are enclosed in a papery casing.
Tolerances: Give a warm,
sunny position and protect from wind and frost. Feed and water well for tastier
fruit. Replace plants every 3 or 4 years for added vigour.
Seeds need light and
27'C to germinate.
Uses: Fruit can be eaten
fresh or stewed. It is high in vitamins and a prolific producer. It will fruit
in one year from seed. Provides scrambling groundcover and mulch.
Cape lilac/white cedar
Melia azedarach
MELIACEAE
Form: Spreading,
deciduous medium-sized tree. During spring small white and purple, sweetly
scented flowers cover the tree. The small leaves fall in early autumn to reveal
yellow berries.
Tolerances: Has a wide
range of climate and soil tolerance. Quite drought hardy but grows better with
irrigation.
It's main pest, the
white cedar moth, produces thousands of caterpillars, pupae and moths; these
become problematic for those with a large cape lilac in their garden.
The caterpillers can be
controlled with Bt (Dipel) or collected by tying hessian or carpet around the
trunk. Caught caterpillers can be deposited into soapy water to kill them. The
carpet is replaced and emptied until the caterpillars stop.
Uses: Fire retardant,
ornamental tree species. This shade tree allows winter sun in after it has
become deciduous.
Timber is good for tool
handles, furniture and veneering. These trees coppice well and are an excellent
source of fuel wood for fires.
The leaves, bark and
fruit have insecticidal properties. A tea of the leaves can be sprayed on
plants as an insect deterrent. Place a couple of leaves in a book to repel
moths.
Capers
Capparis spinosa
CAPPARACEAE
Form: Deciduous
perennial to 70 cm. Prostrate, straggling thorny bush. Very slow growing.
Tolerances: Seeds may
take up to a year to germinate. Does best in dry rocky places. Capers are
susceptible to frost.
Uses: Young flower buds
are pickled for use as a flavouring agent for salads, tartare sauce etc.
Capsicum and chilli
Capsicum species
SOLANACEAE
These plants come in
many varieties, from the sweet red peppers or capsicums, through to the fiery
hot Tabasco chillies.
The fruit of these
plants contains very high levels of vitamin C, also vitamin A, iron and
calcium.
Capsicums of all kinds
are used in many dishes, raw or cooked. They dry well for later use.
A red capsicum is a ripe
green one. Not all chillies turn red; some will ripen to yellow, orange or
purple. They come in all shapes and sizes.
Some of the main species
are as follows:
*
Capsicum
annuum: these are most commonly seen and most easily eaten capsicums. White
flowers. The common green or red capsicums and Hungarian wax types are in this
category.
Paprika
(powdered sweet red pepper) is also used in cooking.
*
Capsicum annuum
longum: common chillies.
*
C. frutescens:
the most common hot chillies, including cayenne and the Tabasco, a variety of
Birds eye chilli. Shrubby. Cayenne is very hot, even when powdered.
*
C. chinense:
includes habanero (the hottest chilli you're likely to find in a garden). C.
chinense crosses easily with C. annuum species.
*
C. baccatum:
extremely hot, berry-shaped chillies. Leaves and flowers are large.
*
C. pubescens:
has fine 'hairs' on the leaves, purple flowers and the plant seems purplish to
look at. The seeds are black and wrinkly.
Tolerances: Capsicums
are really easy to grow, requiring little help, except feeding and watering.
Sunny position.
Uses: Hot chillies
should be handled with caution them. Removal of the white pith and seed reduces
the heat of hot chillies.
Be careful how you cut
them up and where you put your hands afterwards. Wash your hands well with cold
water and soap.
Capuli cherry
Prunus salicifolia
ROSACEAE
Form: Semi-deciduous
tree to 10 metres. Grows rapidly during its first three years and can produce
fruit from seed after just four or five years.
Tolerances: This is a warm-climate
producing cherry, not requiring the many chilling hours below 0'C that sour or
sweet cherries need to produce. Fruit set occurs between 10' and 22'C. They
will tolerate light frosts when they reach a couple of years old.
Adaptable to many soil types
and may prefer dry sandy soil.
Uses: Tasty fruit in
clusters in early to mid summer. This tree is good for those who like cherries,
but don't want to live somewhere cold to grow them.
The wood is useful for
tool handles, implements, charcoal and guitars, furniture and other high value
products. The prunings can be used for basket weaving.
It can be interplanted
with field crops.
May be good for
reforestation in some areas, as it survives poor soils.
Cardamom
Elattaria cardomomum
ZINGIBERACEAE
Form: Rhizomatous
clumping herb with strap-like upright leaves to 50 cm. Perennial. Needs two
plants to cross-pollinate for seeding to occur. The white flowers are fragrant
Tolerances: Tropical to
subtropical warm climate plant. Likes warm, rich, moist soil with a slightly
acid pH, good drainage and a humid summer to help set flower and seed. Grow
where it is warm but shady during the hot part of the day.
Can be grown indoors as
a foliage plant in cooler climates.
Uses: Food plant; pods
and seeds used extensively in Indian foods, curry etc. It is an important
ingredient in many curry powders.
The fresh aromatic
leaves are used to wrap food and flavour milk and other cool drinks.
It has many medicinal
uses, as do many spices, being an appetizer, carminative, stimulant and stomach
settler.
Carissa grandiflora
Natal plum
APOCYNACEAE
Form: Thorny evergreen
shrub 3 to 6 metres high and spreading. Leaves are shiny and leathery. Sweetly
scented white waxy flowers in summer followed by red oval edible fruit to 6 cm.
Highly aromatic flowers and striking fruit make this a useful and ornamental
species.
Tolerances: Comes from
South Africa. Easy to grow, coastal hardy plant that can be neglected and still
survive. Seed in sown in spring or summer, can take up to a month to germinate.
Uses: Excellent thorny
hedge species to deter unwanted guests, animals, prowlers etc. Fruit is eaten
fresh, in jams, tarts, fruit salad etc. Fruit exudes a white latex unless fully
ripe. This hardy and useful seaside plant can also be grown in a container.
Carnation
Dianthus spp
CARYOPHYLLACEAE
Form: Sprawling
grey-leaved herbaceous ground cover. Flowers are strongly clove scented. There
are a number of varieties from the small "pinks" and sweet william up
to larger carnations with flower heads up to 7 cm across.
Tolerances: Full sun in
an open position. These plants really enjoy the bright tough spots in the
garden. They enjoy and endure coastal conditions and grow in alkaline sands.
Most are frost and drought resistant.
Uses: These highly
scented flowers last well in a vase, the petals are edible and can be used as a
spice or candied for later use.
Handy to grow in fairly
exposed seaside gardens. Good low growing edge species.
Carob
Ceratonia siliqua
FABACEAE
Form: Small to medium
evergreen tree 10 metres tall by 3 metres wide. Very long living (500 years+)
species. Takes six or seven years from planting to set pods. Need trees of both
sexes to produce, as each tree is either male or female. One male can fertilize
up to 20 females.
Tolerances: From Syria.
Drought resistant; they do better with some water.
Tolerates any soil
except compacted clay. Actually prefers limestone, alkaline soils, which is
great if you live on the Swan Coastal Plain. Also quite salt tolerant.
Taproots have been found
20 metres deep. This only happens from seed directly planted or container grown
seedlings that are planted out before tap root development is retarded. This is
important for drought-hardiness.
Uses: Excellent fire
barrier when planted as a hedge or windbreak.
The pods are edible and
tasty, and can contain more than 50% sugars. This makes them good human food
and fodder for animals such as goats, sheep and donkeys.
Harvest in autumn, when
the long flat brown pods begin to fall from the trees. The seeds are hard and
shiny and contain 35% gum resin, which is used in the food and glue industries.
The absence of
theobromine, which causes allergies and migraines in some chocolate eaters
allows carob to be a fairly passable substitute for the offending
confectionery.
A 25-year-old tree can
make 125 kg of pods.
Carob powder: Pick and
wash ripe pods. Boil in just enough water to cover or steam until tender. The
cooking process will soften and split the pods. Remove the seeds. Cut up pods
into pieces and dry well. When fully dry blend the pieces into powder.
Alternatively, the pods
also make a good addition to compost, with all their sugars, fibre and
minerals.
Carrots
Daucus carota
APIACEAE
Form: Annual root
vegetable with fern-like foliage. Different varieties are shorter, rounder and
smaller than the common shop varieties and may be a brighter orange or even
purple.
Tolerances: Need deep,
loose light soil to be successful. Sand is quite good, well enriched some time
before planting.
Fertilizing too close to
seed sowing time can result in forked and lumpy carrots or an excess of leaf at
the expense of roots.
Soil and seed needs to
be kept constantly moist and covered with damp hessian until germination.
Sprinkling cocopeat on the surface helps show where the seeds are and keep out
light until they are germinated. Minimize cultivation to reduce disturbance of
fine roots.
Water regularly.
Companions: onion family
(deters carrot fly), beans, peas, wormwood, radish, lettuce, sage, rosemary,
capsicums and tomatoes. Not with: parsnip or dill.
Uses: Carrots are rich
in potassium salts and vitamins A, C and E, which are anti-oxidants. They are
good for respiratory problems, eyes and skin.
Cooked pulped carrot is
good against diarrhoea, and other stomach lurgies.
Casuarina/She-oaks
Casuarina species
CASUARINACEAE
Form: Perennial species
from small scrubby shrubs to trees of up to 20 metres.
Tolerances: Resistant to
heat, drought, wind, salt and poor soil.
Uses: Windbreak. Creates
acidifying mulch. Deeply shades soil beneath them. They make a pleasant watery
sound when the wind blows through them.
C. cunninghamiana (River
she-oak): This Australian evergreen tree, which grows to 20 metres tall, grows
along rivers. It is frost tolerant and improves and binds soil.
C. humilis: Upright shrub
to 2.5 m. From south-west WA.
Catalpa/Indian bean tree
Catalpa bignonioides
BIGNONIACEAE
Form: Fast growing,
deciduous tree with an irregular pyramid shaped profile. Heart shaped leaves
with purplish new growth.
Tolerances: Cool,
temperate to warm temperate. Needs moderate watering. Tolerates heat and cold.
Sunny position, protected from wind.
Uses: Large shade tree.
Fire retardant.
Cayenne peppers: see
capsicum and chillies
Celery
Apium graveolens
APIACEAE
Form: Annual, upright
multi stemmed stalk vegetable. Need blanching for pale stems, though this means
less chlorophyll in the plant cells and therefore less nutrition. Growing
cabbages or other leafy things around them will blanch the stems a bit.
Tolerances: Celery's
wild relations come from salt marshes and it is one of the most salt tolerant
of vegetables Prefers rich, sandy, well-drained soil. Needs to be grown with
plenty of water so it isn't tough and too salty.
Plants will bolt to seed
if the temperature is under 13'C for longer than 10 days. The ideal germinating
temperature is about 20'C. Seeds can take up to 27 days to germinate.
Companions: Onions,
leeks, tomatoes, cauliflower, cabbage family, dill, French and dwarf beans,
nasturtium, squash, peas, potatoes. NOT: cucumber, carrots and parsnip.
Uses: Has a high mineral
content, high fibre and makes a good seasoning. A basic stock without celery
isn't the same.
Cilantro: see coriander
Chamomiles, Perennial or
Roman
Chamaemelum syn.
Anthemis nobilis
ASTERACEAE
Form: Creeping,
evergreen, matforming perennial that grows 10 cm high x 45 cm across. Has
finely divided aromatic leaves and white daisy flowers with yellow centres, in
late spring through to autumn. The flowers smell like apples.
It can become invasive.
C. nobile
"Trenegue" is a dwarf, non-flowering form, is less invasive and
requires less mowing when used as a lawn. Slightly harder to get because it
doesn't flower and therefore doesn't make seed! Propagate by division in
spring.
Tolerances: A sunny area
with well-drained soil. Grows in sandy areas. Has moderate watering needs; it
is a good plant to water from the bath.
Uses: Excellent lawn
species that is easy to grow from broadcast seed.
Flowers are used for
herbal tea and have anti-fungal qualities, which can be used to prevent damping
off disease in seedlings.
Has many internal and
external uses both medicinal and cosmetic. It is anti-inflammatory,
anti-spasmodic and antiseptic. It reduces headaches, nausea and painful
menstruation.
A cup before bedtime can
help insomniacs sleep.
Skin problems such as
eczema, ulcers and abrasions, cuts or other skin sores can be aided in healing
with a strong infusion of the flowers applied externally.
German, or true
chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla): Annual herb to 40 cm. All parts are
aromatic. The flower heads are used medicinally, being mild but effective.
Plant in a sunny position. Needs summer watering.
A tea made from the
flowers is good for colds and flu, indigestion, urinary problems and helps
'settle' the nerves.
It is also relaxing
before bedtime. Its anti-spasmodic qualities have been used since medieval
times to relieve 'women's complaints'.
It has a beneficial
effect on plants growing near it.
Can also be used on
seedlings to prevent damping off.
Dyers' chamomile
(Anthemis tinctoria)
Form: Evergreen clumping
perennial with a spread of one metre. Summer flowers are borne singly per stem
above greenish grey flat ferny foliage. The flowers are bright yellow with
slightly raised yellow centres.
Tolerances: This tough
groundcover plant is quite drought hardy, needing only the occasional watering
in summer. Place in a full sun position.
Uses: Can be used to
make dye.
Cherry
Prunus species
ROSACEAE
Perth's climate is too
warm for sweet or sour cherries. Luckily the Capulin cherry is a semi-tropical
equivalent. (It has its own section.)
There may be scope for
colder climate types in the Hills or down south though, and with a little
understanding of microclimate creation and use of southern slopes you may have
a cold enough spot in winter to get the chilling requirements covered.
Capulin cherry (P.
salicifolia): see Capulin cherry
Sour cherry (P. cerasus)
Form: Small bushy tree,
generally self-fertile.
Tolerances: Hardier than
sweet cherry. Can withstand heat and cold. If kept pruned low it can be a hedge
and will be easier to harvest. Needs deep, good, well draining soil. Watering
is important, keeping the ground evenly moist ensures even growth. A dry plant
suddenly watered can get split fruit.
Chill requirements are
800-1200 hours under 7'C.
Uses: Too sour for most
folk to eat raw, instead being used for preserves and sauces.
Can be espaliered
against a wall to save space.
Sweet cherry (P. avium)
Form: Fruit tree, which
can reach 7.5 metres high with a similar spread, making them a bit large for
many gardens. Can be espaliered.
Tolerances: Cool
temperate fruit. Provide a sheltered spot away from cold winds. Will grow
better and live longer on deep, fertile soil. Provide water throughout summer,
as they need adequate water to ripen the fruit. Needs a cross-pollinator, as
they are not reliably self-fertile. The two trees will need to flower at the
same time for fruiting to occur, and should be carefully chosen.
Chill requirements
800-1200 hours under 7'C.
Uses: Delicious iron
rich fruit, eaten fresh or stewed, or turned into jam.
Birds love cherries too
so trees will need netting, or you could try planting a mulberry nearby to
distract the birds a little.
Cherry alder
Syzygium leuhmanii
MYRTACEAE
Form: Large
glossy-leaved tree from 9 - 15 metres tall with a spread of about 4 metres. It
grows buttress roots, so needs plenty of room! The foliage grows thickly and
the young leaves have a reddish-purple tinge. It has creamy white flowers in
summer which are followed by large bunches of slightly pear shaped bright red
fruit.
Tolerances: Australian
rainforest tree. Will grow in sun or shade. Needs a good water supply and good
soil.
Uses: Related to the
lillypilly tree, this is an edible fruit. Good in a container, best in the
ground to provide thick shelter, windbreak and gives lots of birds a home.
Ornamental.
Chervil
Anthriscus cerefolium
APIACEAE
Form: An annual herb
with ferny green leaves.
Tolerances: From
southern Europe and southeast Russia. This plant grows best in our winter when
it is cooler. Give plenty of shade in summer. Provide rich soil. Do continuous
sowings to always have some coming on.
Companions:
Traditionally grown with cabbages.
Uses: It is an
ingredient in "fines herbes", along with chives and fine leaf
parsley. It is often used in sauces, omelettes and other egg dishes. The roots
are eaten as a vegetable.
Chickpea
Cicer arietinum
FABACEAE
Form: Annual, bushy
leguminous plant with fine feathery leaflets. Grows to 50 cm. Leaves are
poisonous. Takes four to seven months to maturity through the warm season.
Tolerances: Grown in the
Mediterranean, Africa and the Middle East. Heat tolerant.
Uses: Produces edible
pea seeds that are dried for later use, then soaked and cooked for a variety of
foods. Used whole, mashed or pureed.
One of the best-known
uses is hommous, chickpea puree with tahini, garlic, and a little oil and
seasoning (with local variations).
Chickweed
Stellaria media
CARYOPHYLLACEAE
Form: Low growing annual
herb, with fragile stems and white star-like flowers (hence Stellaria, its
genus name). Considered by many a winter 'weed' of lawns and gardens.
Tolerances: Enjoys the
cooler moist times of year, when it will grow unaided. It is very cold hardy.
Uses: The leaves are a
good edible herb, highly nutritious and freely abundant throughout winter and
early spring. Use as cooked greens or fresh in salads.
This herb has medicinal
uses and can be crushed and applied to the skin to aid healing of bruises,
grazes and skin irritation.
Chicory
Cichorium intybus
ASTERACEAE
Form: Perennial herb
with deep taproot. It has a basal rosette, similar to dandelion, from which
arises a tall flower spike, which has many sky-blue flowers over an extended
period during summer. Gorgeous!
All chicories have
edible leaves and roots.
Tolerances: Needs deep,
moist, fertile soil to grow tender roots and leaves but will survive in many
other areas. Grows well in ground where worms are happy.
Uses: The leaves are
edible and are at their best when young and fresh; older leaves being very
bitter. Plants a year or less old are more tasty and easier to eat. The roots
can be scraped and roasted in a similar way to dandelion root for use as a
beverage, used raw in salads, or cooked like a turnip.
Chicory has long been
used as an additive to coffee, especially during war times, and is often found
in non-caffeine beverages.
Chicory is an indicator
of clay in the soil and being deep-rooted it also brings sub-surface nutrients
up to where they can be used by plants with shallower roots.
Witlof is a type of
chicory with a tight upright habit, which must be blanched by covering for a
few weeks before picking to reduce the bitterness of the leaf. When the leaves
are very pale they are eaten raw in salads or braised.
Endive (Chicorium
endiva)
Very similar to chicory,
having a more upright habit and thin frilly leaves. It is eaten blanched to
reduce bitterness, or young leaves are added to salads.
This group includes
'escarole' (C endiva var. latifolia) a broader, curly, often reddish, leaf that
is seen in salad mixes.
Chilacayote
Cucurbita ficifolia
CUCURBITACEAE
Form: Rambling perennial
vine. The leaves are deeply indented (ficifolia means fig-like leaf). It
doesn't shade the ground as much as normal pumpkin, and is easier to grow.
Insect pollinated.
Tolerances: This plant is
from the Mexican highlands. Unlike pumpkins it continues to grow during the
cooler part of year though it is frost sensitive and may lose its leaves during
cold spells, growing them back in spring.
Uses: Ground cover,
producing edible fruit. Pick the fruit young, at about apple size and eat raw
or steamed. It can also be made into various puddings and porridges. The seeds
are eaten like pumpkin seeds.
An important food in
parts of South America.
Chinese tallow tree
Sapium sebiferum
EUPHORBIACEAE
Form: Deciduous or
semi-evergreen in milder climates. Leaves turn red and orange in autumn, one of
the few deciduous trees that will show colour in Perth's mild winters.
The root system is
non-invasive. In gardens they can be planted with understorey right up to the
base of the trunk.
Tolerances: Quite
disease resistant. Able to grow in a wide range of soil types, including areas
of poor drainage and salinity and from the coast to 2000m above sea level.
Tolerates frosts and
some levels of flooding for short periods.
Uses: The wax from the
white berries can be used as candle wax, 'tallow' for soap and in cooking it
has similar qualities to cocoa butter and lard.
Bees enjoy the tree and
produce fine flavoured honey from it.
This tree is also good
for firewood and coppices well.
Chives
Allium schoenaprasum
ALLIACEAE
Form: Herbaceous
perennial with thin, hollow tubular leaves that form small clumps. Leaves smell
oniony when crushed. The flowers are mauve, appearing on stems to 20 cm.
Tolerances: Fairly hardy
to most situations. Needs fertilizing to continually grow fresh leaves. Pick to
promote growth and prevent legginess. Sow seed in spring.
Companions: carrots,
parsley. NOT: peas, beans.
Uses: The flowers are
edible. The tasty leaves are used in salads, soups, dips and many vegetable
dishes. The leaves contain calcium, which strengthens teeth and nails. Also
reduces blood pressure.
Border plant. Grows well
in pots, good for rental houses.
Choko/chayote
Sechium edule
CUCURBITACEAE
Form: Perennial climber,
mostly grown as an annual in cool areas. Vigorous climber for trellis, trees or
fences. It can cover a large area in a short time so some pruning could be
necessary. Fruit are large, green and pear-shaped with or without small soft
spines on the skin.
Tolerances: Native to
Mexico. Needs regular watering and feeding for good production.
Uses: Great quick
growing screening plant. Produces abundant numbers of fruit with little effort.
Pick them young when they are tastier and less woody.
Not an extremely
flavoursome fruit, it can be used in many ways, as it takes on the flavour of
foods it is cooked with. It is used to 'bulk out' pears or apples in pies and
has many recipes for its use including green tomato and choko pickle - yum.
The shoots can be
steamed; the fruit and roots boiled or baked, and the stems make a good fibre.
Their vigorous growth
and rampancy can be kept in control by pigs, which enjoy all parts.
Chokos and pigs have
been used to control lantana in NSW; choko is grown over the tops of the weedy
lantana plants and then pigs are let in to trample and gruntle through the
choko and lantana munching and crunching as they go. Initially the choko shades
out the lantana, and then the pigs finish the job, trampling through, eating
the choko.
It is a great plant to cover
and cool the west side of your house, a shed or veranda roof from the hot
afternoon sun in summer.
Citrus family
Citrus spp
RUTACEAE
Form: Small, widely
branched trees, which vary in size between 3 to 10 metres tall by 5 to 8 metres
wide.
Remove any suckers that
come up from below the graft, so the rootstock doesn't take over.
Tolerances: There is a
citrus for most climates. They need regular summer watering, full sun and a
good fertile well-drained soil to fruit successfully.
Their preference is for
slightly acid soil; deficiencies show up if soil is either too acid or too
alkaline. Protect from strong winds.
A weak solution of boron
(as borax) applied by watering can help fix lemons with dry browned patches
inside them. This will need repeating in sandy leached soil.
When planting dig a deep
wide hole, use lots of good manure, minerals and potting mix.
Make sure the graft is
not buried and keep soil level as it was in the pot.
All citrus can be kept
in containers, with regular watering and feeding. They have high nitrogen
requirements and are one group of plants that benefits from being fertilized
with urine.
The healthiest lemon
trees are the ones where the 'men of the house' can easily pee beneath the
tree.
Near the coast citrus
will probably show signs of being deficient in zinc, magnesium, manganese and
copper. Mulch with a variety of organic matter and manures.
Uses: Aromatic leaves
and tasty nutritious fruit.
Lemons (Citrus limon)
*
Lisbon:
Adelaide's favourite all year fruiter. Main crop is available in winter. This
vigorous heavy cropping tree to 8 metres is more cold tolerant than the Eureka.
Holds the fruit within the tree. Keep tree short for ease of picking. Thorny
*
Eureka:
Vigorous coastal tree. Not many thorns. Crops all year round. Keep tree short.
*
Meyer: Hybrid
between orange and lemon, more sweet than other lemons. This compact tree,
which is cold tolerant, grows well in a container.
*
Villa Franca:
Large tree to 8 metres. It has fewer thorns than Lisbon. Similar shape and size
fruit to the Eureka fruit. It crops mainly in mid winter.
*
Lemonade
(Brisbane lemon): Not very tangy fruit. Crops several times a year.
Oranges, Sweet (C.
sinensis)
*
Valencia:
Matures spring/summer.
*
Washington
Navel: Matures in winter, large juicy seedless fruit.
*
Seville/Sour
(C. aurantium): These bitter flavoured oranges used to make marmalade.
Oranges, Sour (C.
aurantium)
*
Seville (C.
aurantium): These bitter flavoured oranges are used to make marmalade.
*
Chinotto
(Citrus aurantium var. myrtifolia): Ornamental small tree. The fruit is used to
make the Italian cola. It has spiked leaves.
Mandarins (C.
reticulata)
*
Emperor: Large
tree produces mid-season. The large juicy fruit have good flavour and rough
skin.
*
Imperial: Early
variety with excellent flavour.
Limes (C. aurantifolia,
C. latifolia)
*
Kaffir lime: A
small tree with highly aromatic violin shaped leaves and long sharp thorns. The
leaves are used in Thai cooking. Fruit is grated for rind but isn't very juicy.
Best grown in a pot in Perth.
*
West Indian/
Mexican lime: Small fruit that is pale yellow on the outside and green inside. More
strongly scented than Tahitian lime. Frost tender
*
Tahitian:
Almost thornless. The Tahitian gives a heavy summer crop. The seedless fruit
are yellow when ripe.
Grapefruit (C. paradisi)
Bitter fruit that is
high in vitamin C and potassium. They also contain plenty of pectin and
bioflavonoids.
Clover
Trifolium spp
FABACEAE
Form: Small annual or
perennial, creeping, leguminous groundcovers.
Tolerances: Frost
resistant. Drought tender. There is one for most soil types.
Uses: Soil improver. Lawn
replacement. Cover crop. Forage.
Red clover (T. pratense)
Improves next crop of corn and wheat. Hardy. Displaces weeds. Frost tolerant.
Red clover has medicinal uses to help against cancer and as a general tonic.
Strawberry clover (T.
fragiferum): A widely adaptable clover; it tolerates extreme heat and cold,
flooding, drought and salty conditions.
Subterranean clover (T.
subterraneum): This frost and drought tolerant annual thrives in cool, moist
winters and dry summers. It buries its own seed and thus self-propagates.
White clover (T.
repens): This self-propagating temperate zone plant spreads quickly, providing
good erosion control.
Coffee
Coffea arabica
RUBIACEAE
Form: Evergreen shrub or
small tree to 5 metres, usually kept short for ease of harvest.
Tolerances: Full/part
sun in a sheltered spot, near a white north facing wall or large rock, to help
keep it warm during winter in non-tropical climates. Needs good well-drained
soil, with lots of added organic matter. Ensure good nitrogen and phosphorous
balance.
Propagation: Seed needs
to be very fresh. Grow it indoors or somewhere else warm until old enough to
plant outside. Pot up once they harden off. Plant a leguminous nurse tree
nearby for shelter, with a gap at the base to allow air circulation.
Uses: Coffee. About 2
kilograms of fresh berries makes 700 grams of coffee. There are two seeds per
berry, which are washed to remove the outer layers, dried, roasted and ground.
Can be kept as an indoor
plant during the cooler months.
Coltsfoot
Tussilago farfara
ASTERACEAE
Form: Rhizomatous
spreading herb, with circular leaves that are glossy green above, hairy below.
Tolerances: Comes from
cooler parts of the Northern hemisphere and grows best in temperate climates.
Naturalises on moist banks, scree and river gravel. Prefers wet, loamy
limestone soil in a partly shaded protected position. It is frost resistant and
drought tender.
Propagate by division or
seed.
Uses: Medicinal tea for
coughs and colds, syrup for bronchitis.
Should be used with
caution, as it is high in alkaloids, which can be bad for the liver.
Comfrey
Symphytum officinale
BORAGINACEAE
Form: Clumping leafy
perennial, up to a metre high and wide, with a flower spike to a metre, which
has many pink tubular flowers.
Tolerances: Moist soil.
Doesn't like drying out. Water regularly.
Uses: Border plant.
Mulch and compost plant - high in minerals accumulated from below.
Liquid manure tea made
from the leaves is high in phosphorus and activates microbial activity.
As it has a deep root
system and contains many minerals it can be used as a nutrient recycler,
allowing accumulated nutrients to be redistributed within the garden. It is a
heavy feeder, which also makes it a good plant to put near water recycling
areas.
Comfrey has many
medicinal uses. External use is as simple as mashing or chewing a bit of the
leaf and applying it to damaged skin. It is a cell-proliferant and contains
allantoin, which helps heal the skin.
It is edible and
contains B12, but should not be consumed too heavily (or possibly at all) as it
contains root and leaf alkaloids which may cause liver damage. Comfrey was
blamed for the death of someone who consumed very large amounts of it.
Blanch leaves in boiling
water before use to soften sharp 'hairs' on the leaves. The leaf contains
20-25% leaf protein.
Bee plant. Animal
fodder. Animal medicine.
Coprosma repens
Mirror plant
RUBIACEAE
Form: Large evergreen
shrub, 2 - 3 metres high by up to 3 metres wide. It has tiny white flowers
followed by berries. Parts of the plant layer themselves into the ground
creating a domed grotto beneath.
Tolerances: Coastal
hardy. Wind tolerant. Resists salt spray and salt. Drought tolerant once
established.
Uses: Excellent
screening shrub and windbreak species. Fire retardant. Fruit and seed make good
poultry fodder. Shiny leaves reflect heat and light reducing radiation from
fires or the sun. Sheep, horses and cows eat it as fodder.
It makes good mulch and
compost.
Coriander/cilantro
Coriandrum sativum
APIACEAE
Form: Annual herb to 50
cm. Feathery, strongly scented leaves and umbels of white flowers. Flowers and
self-sows readily.
Cilantro is a strain of
coriander that has been selectively bred to stay leafy rather than quickly go
to seed.
Tolerances: Light to
medium soil. Drought tender and will go to seed quickly if the soil dries out.
Frost tender. It prefers the cooler months. Needs a moist, sheltered and shady
spot to produce into the warmer months.
Companion plant: good
for disguising shapes and smells of plants susceptible to insect attack.
Uses: Strong-tasting
edible leaves are high in vitamin C. They are used in sauces and condiments and
as a garnish. Thai cooking uses lots of leaf coriander.
The seeds are used whole
or powdered in cooking. Once seeds turn brown on the plant collect them before
they fall off, by placing the whole plant in a paper bag and dry thoroughly in
the shade.
They are good for
digestion, as a blood purifier and general tonic.
Corn
Zea mays
POACEAE
There are many varieties
of corn; hard, pop and sweet.
Form: Tall grass-like
plants, producing cobs of corn used fresh (sweet corn), dried (popcorn) or
dried and ground (polenta, cornmeal).
Tolerances: Heavy feeder
that also uses plenty of water to produce well.
Companions:
Traditionally grown by the First Peoples in North America with pumpkins and
beans, which use the cornstalks as poles and provide nitrogen to the corn.
Uses: There are about
five basic groups of types of corn. Corn comes in many colours too; reds, blues
yellows and white, some mixed on the same cob.
Corn is a highly
manipulated crop and has been become a part of many processed goods.
Corn has been subject to
genetic engineering, and it is important that a good stock of non-hybrid corn
seed is grown organically.
Cornflower
Centaurea cyanus
ASTERACEAE
Form: Upright herbaceous
annual to 1 metre with blue, pink or purple flowers in spring and summer.
Tolerances: Well-drained
soil in a sunny position. Needs staking in windy areas.
Uses: Insect attractant.
The long lasting, pretty flowers dry well.
Cosmos
Cosmosus bipinnatus
ASTERACEAE
Form: Annual flowering
herb to 1.2 metres. The foliage is fine and feathery. Varieties flower in many
different colours, from white to dark pinks.
Tolerances: Able to grow
in hot summer sun, given little water. Self-seeds once established.
Uses: Long-flowering
colourful plant. Can become weedy in some areas.
Cowpea
Vigna unguiculata
FABACEAE
Form: A type of black
eye pea. This bush bean grows to 80 cm tall. Long slender pods with up to 14
seeds per pod follow pale purple pea flowers.
Tolerances: Adapts to
most soils and produces seed despite neglect. Prefers a protected sunny
position. Drought and frost tender. Sow in spring and summer.
Uses: Young pods can be
eaten, as can the mature seeds, which are used fresh (cooked) or collected to
use as dried beans.
These tough plants
produce plenty of seed even in poor, dry conditions.
Cress
Lepidium sativum
BRASSICACEAE
Form: Low-growing
biennial, 15-20 cm wide. Self seeds readily.
Tolerances: Needs shade
and moisture retentive fertile soil. It quickly goes to seed in the sun or dry
soil.
Propagate seed in spring
for early summer crop or late summer for autumn and over-wintering crop.
Uses: Edible peppery
leaves, used raw or cooked. Leaves can be picked from 7 cm long, seven weeks
after sowing in spring or late summer.
Also often grown as
sprouts.
Crown vetch
Coronilla varia
FABACEAE
Form: Hardy perennial
groundcover to 60 cm. Rhizomatous. Bears pink and white flowers in summer.
Leguminous.
Tolerances: Disease
resistant. Frost and semi-drought tolerant. Adapts to most soils and
conditions. Doesn't need mowing.
Sow seed direct in
spring, summer or autumn. Needs a temperature of 20'C to germinate and 15 - 25
days.
Uses: Stabilizes and
improves soil providing erosion control. Out performs and excludes weeds. Adds
nitrogen to the soil.
No-mow lawn.
Cucumbers
Cucumis sativus
CUCURBITACEAE
Form: Annual climbing or
trailing deep rooted vines. The large soft leaves are covered with tiny spines.
Tolerances: These need a
rich soil and plenty of water to really get going. With regular feeding these
crop beautifully in a garden. By providing a strong trellis they don't take up
much room. Give them plenty to grab on to.
Uses: Home grown
cucumbers are much better than bought ones, as all homegrown food is, but fresh
as a cucumber means nothing 'til you pick one and eat it straight away!
Cucumber eaten regularly
can help dissolve kidney stones, reduces the body's acidity and keep the skin
healthy.
Externally, it is
soothing on the skin.
Culantro: see Mexican coriander
Cumin
Cuminum cyminum
APIACEAE
Form: Annual to 15 cm.
Cumin has umbels of white or rose coloured flowers.
Tolerances: Needs warm
sub-tropical heat for the seeds to ripen. Likes a rich, well-drained soil in a
sunny spot.
The seeds are slow to
germinate and need warmth.
Uses: Seeds are used
whole or ground in Indian curries, Mexican foods and Middle Eastern dishes.
When this plant flowers
it attracts hover flies and other predaceous insects.
Curry leaf tree
Murraya koeniggi
RUTACEAE
Form: Small deciduous
tree. The attractive foliage has a strong curry flavour and fragrance.
Tolerances: Likes a warm
sunny position in well-drained soil.
The large black berries
can easily be used to grow new plants.
Uses: The leaves can be
used fresh in marinades, soups, stews or dressing.
Cytisus spp
Broom
FABACEAE
Form: Leguminous small
to large shrubs, with yellow flowers in spring. This plant can become weedy so
choose a sterile variety. Pods are poisonous.
Tolerances: Full sun.
Well-drained.
Uses: Ornamental plant,
which fixes nitrogen and produces mulch.