While Macadamias are the only really well known native crop to come out of Australia (before being taken by Cook to Hawaii) there’s recently been a push to rediscover a lot of the crops originally cultivated by the first people of Australia. These include Finger Limes, Bush Tomato, Kangaroo Apples, Lilly Pilly, Atherton Raspberries, Murnong and excitingly mamadyang ngalluk or “dancing grass”.
I think we talked about that one in another thread but it’s one of my favorite trees. I’m trying to popularize them here in California but our ideas about liability are not entirely compatible with the hazard presented by the cones so it’s hard to find someone who will grow them. I harvested many last year and greatly enjoyed them.
Do they have issues with phytophthora? I have not seen that here though it’s not a common tree.
There is no risk when it’s managed. The indigenous climbed the trees before they fell, knocked one off to check, and then manually harvested. This is in that document.
The risk comes from urban trees being unmanaged in high risk areas. If you had a fenced off plot of Bunya, minimal risk.
Yes, there is a disease attacking Bunya in their original native range, Bunya Mountains and the Blackall Range. It’s early days but there is a risk that a lot of trees will be lost in certain areas.
Definitely drier here, we get less than half the rainfall of those forests. But people also irrigate a lot and the clay soil means it can be pretty soggy at times.
While Macadamias are the only really well known native crop to come out of Australia (before being taken by Cook to Hawaii) there’s recently been a push to rediscover a lot of the crops originally cultivated by the first people of Australia. These include Finger Limes, Bush Tomato, Kangaroo Apples, Lilly Pilly, Atherton Raspberries, Murnong and excitingly mamadyang ngalluk or “dancing grass”.
Nearly missed this reply. Tag me next time. I, not as well as you, basically replied something similar.
@[email protected]
You can add Bunya to the list? That’s gaining a resurgence before Phytophthora gets them in their native range.
I think we talked about that one in another thread but it’s one of my favorite trees. I’m trying to popularize them here in California but our ideas about liability are not entirely compatible with the hazard presented by the cones so it’s hard to find someone who will grow them. I harvested many last year and greatly enjoyed them.
Do they have issues with phytophthora? I have not seen that here though it’s not a common tree.
There is no risk when it’s managed. The indigenous climbed the trees before they fell, knocked one off to check, and then manually harvested. This is in that document.
The risk comes from urban trees being unmanaged in high risk areas. If you had a fenced off plot of Bunya, minimal risk.
Yes, there is a disease attacking Bunya in their original native range, Bunya Mountains and the Blackall Range. It’s early days but there is a risk that a lot of trees will be lost in certain areas.
Tragic. I’ve never seen one look sick around here so I assume that strain/species is not present here yet. Hope it never arrives.
Check if you have it (websearch the species):
https://era.daf.qld.gov.au/id/eprint/7166/
Looks like we do. But then I wonder why we don’t experience the same problems as in its native range?
California drier than the rainforest they are present in here? Allows greater movement?
It’s so early, not enough research done. If it starts affecting Hoop badly, which is a forestry timber, then more money will be thrown at it maybe.
Always a nice factoid, the tallest Bunya in the world is in Portugal. Hopefully it will stay safe there!
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tallest-tree-in-europe-portugal
https://dn.com.au/Big_Famous_Trees_gallery/pages/Araucaria-bidwillii-Bunya-pine-Portugal-tallest.html
Definitely drier here, we get less than half the rainfall of those forests. But people also irrigate a lot and the clay soil means it can be pretty soggy at times.
If it still exists this says there is a taller one in Australia: https://www.conifers.org/ar/Araucaria_bidwillii.php
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-21/wet-conditions-make-worse-a-serious-threat-killing-bunya-trees/101460316