Gardener’s Guide for planting: LITTORAL RAINFOREST

Littoral Rainforest species being utilised in an exposed coastal location, including: Coast Hibiscus Hibiscus tiliaceus (background), Paroo Lily Dianella caerulea and Rusty Fig Ficus rubiginosa (right) in a children’s playground in Redlands Queensland

Why we need your help Nationally more than 90% of Littoral Rainforest has been lost to coastal development, sand mining, weeds and feral animals. In Port Macquarie and other urban areas of our Local Government Area (LGA), the story is no different. As a consequence it should be no surprise to you to learn that this vegetation is Critically Endangered. Whilst we have some wonderful examples of Littoral Rainforest in our local reserves (Sea Acres, Coal Wharf Reserve on the North Shore, Middle Rock, Rainbow Beach and Googleys Lagoon at Dunbogan), most are small, fragmented and subject to ongoing pressures from people, weeds and feral animals. The bird and animal life that we value so highly in our region largely can spill over into our home gardens, and you can help make both the reserves stronger and the life of the beautiful and beneficial animals and plants that inhabit these refuges so much better by giving them some of your garden as a habitat. If you live in exposed coastal or near coastal areas, planting your garden with local Littoral Rainforest species is a real option. Two options are provided (depending on your soils: Littoral Rainforest on sand and Littoral Rainforest on clay).

The benefits of planting locally indigenous rainforest plants These benefits range from environmental and aesthetic to the practical. We have listed a few to help you decide whether you wish to participate by planting local rainforest plants. BENEFITS TO YOU AND YOUR PROPERTY

Shelter from prevailing salt-laden winds - most of the species listed for Littoral Rainforest have some degree of salt resistence, some can withstand the full force of storms. Consequently, the suite of species listed for this type of rainforest is ideally suited to the exposed coastal garden situation.

Ambiance and aesthetics - many of the rainforest plants are readily available in local nurseries because of their usefulness for hedging, screening edging or feature plants, others have very sculptural forms (see PLANT GALLERY).

Colour - many of the plants have colourful flowers and/or foliage. In addition, the animals that are attracted can often be spectacular (see ANIMAL GALLERY).

Natural air conditioning - because rainforest plants create a canopy, they maintain an more even temperature compared to the open urban landscape. So much so that the winter to summer temperature variations can be changed by as much as 10 degrees (4-5 degrees cooler in summer and 4-5 degrees warmer in winter: John Kennedy pers. comm.).

Maintenance - Once the initial tasks of planting, mulching and nourishment to establish the plants is completed, the ongoing maintenance is minimal.

Fire resistance - Rainforests are a natural fire resistant form of vegetation. By surrounding your property in vegetation which is not susceptible to burning, you can lower the threat on your property (consult the RFS website in a high fire risk area).

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

Animal life - By attracting colourful and engaging local animals to your garden you create an aspect which many gardens lack (see ANIMAL GALLERY). Sound and movement in any garden provides interest and a sense of belonging.

Climate - As with a mature rainforest, by enclosing your property and house within a rainforest environment, you will see the benefits of removing large temperature fluctuations. Shade in summer will help keep your home cool, whilst the closed canopy of a rainforest helps avoid the extreme low temperatures of winter. If shade in winter is a problem, deciduous rainforest species can be selected to help increase solar access and winter sun. Red Cedar Toona ciliata, White Cedar Melia adzedarach, Koda Ehretia acuminata and Illawarra Flame Tree Brachychiton acerifolius are all examples of deciduous rainforest species.

Habitat restoration - Being a Critically Endangered ecological community, Littoral Rainforest restoration has huge ecological benefits. By increasing the distribution of species, we are helping ensure their survival and spread in the local landscape. Including many Littoral Rainforest species in your home garden also increased the habitat for native animals, providing stepping stones for movement and dispersal through the landscape. This helps to repair some of the primary functions which has become apparent in our highly fragmented urban landscape.

Littoral Rainforest: at risk of extinction This planting guide is based on Littoral Rainforest. The species selected for the guide are indigenous to the PM-HC LGA and originally found on serpentine geologies within Port Macquarie (e.g. Oxley Beach, Town Beach, Rocky Beach, Flynns Beach, Shelly Beach, Lighthouse Beach, Port Macquarie Golf Course and the Links), and on many dunes (with fire-protection) such as North Shore, Lake Cathie, North Haven, Dunbogan, Camden Head, and headlands like Bonny Hills, Grants Head and Kattang. Littoral Rainforest tends to be most common in areas which experience moderate to high exposure to salt laden winds (tertiary species in the diagram below) and are protected from

fire. Littoral Rainforest is listed as Critically Endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Figure 1: Littoral Rainforest profile © Royal Botanical Gardens and Domain Trust.

When undisturbed, Littoral Rainforest have a closed canopy consisting of a high diversity of trees, relatively few shrubs and an abundance of tough herbs, grasses/grass-like plants and some salt-adapted ferns. Vines are usually prominent and play a key role in canopy integrity that helps to keep salt winds at bay. The canopy in exposed areas is generally wind-pruned and many trees develop a tortured shape as they grow away from the prevailing salt-laden winds. Littoral Rainforest is a great option for those living in exposed coastal areas.

By increasing the distribution of Littoral Rainforest species in the urban environment, you directly contributing to the rescue of this endangered plant community and its dependent fauna. Many local species are attractive and useful as feature plants, hedges and screens and do not require closed rainforest habitats to flourish. The significant benefits of incorporating a range of local plants not only advantage the flora species you select to plant, but also the animal species which may depend on them as sources of food, shelter or as a breeding/nesting sites.

Rainforest plants at home The plant lists we have provided indicate the best uses for local rainforest plants in landscaping. These uses will still provide substantial ecological benefits even if your home or personal choice do not allow a full rainforest habitat planting. By substituting local plants for environmental weeds you also reduce the stress placed on local reserves by weed invasion. It is strongly recommended that you follow the size-based planting advice in PLANTING ADVICE TABLES (below), to ensure your rainforest plants can grow to their full potential. Poor choices may mean repetitive maintenance or costly removal (particularly for trees and vines). Two options (sand or clay soils) are offered in: Gardeners Littoral Rainforest species list.xlsx

The habitat you choose to create in your backyard is dependent on how much room you have. The urban backyard can provide good habitat, as can even those with only a balcony; many a frog or penny lizard would be grateful for the cool refuge your plantings would provide in the concrete jungle. To maximise the value of your backyard rainforest habitat: include as many of the key features found in mature rainforest habitats; a range of canopy levels, year round fruiting or flowering, a variety of plants and growth forms and a closed canopy. But remember, if all you can do is a hedge or a potted balcony plant; it all helps! You will have a lot of fun selecting and researching the species you want from our: Gardener’s Littoral Rainforest plant species list.xlsx. This list is arranged by life-form categories: various trees sizes (>35m to <10m), shrubs, groundcovers, vines, epiphytes etc. Make sensible selections according to the room you have to plant, proximity of services and neighbours etc. Use the PLANTING ADVICE TABLES (below). You should also try to identify rainforest plants that may have already been established in the area to be planted (many may already have arrived and you weren’t aware of their presence (contact: Port Macquarie Landcare www.landcareportmac.com.au or the Council’s Ecologist if you suspect you already have some).

Site preparation Consider your planting area carefully. If the area is exposed to salt-laden winds, a tiered planting approach is required that will create a storm shutter to protect your garden from the ravages of prevailing winds. To do this on the windward side of the planting start with species that are labelled as FRONTLINE and a row of those labelled SECONDLINE in the Gardeners Littoral Rainforest species list.xlsx (see also FRONTLINE vs SECONDLINE SPECIES below). Once established, the third and subsequent rows in your storm shutter (think like you are creating a louvered window, where each overlapping panel of planting protects the one behind) can be any of the species in the list (provided they have the features and dimensions) that suit your needs. These species will thrive in salt-laden air, but not withstand the onslaught of full wind exposure. To prepare the site for planting, remove lawn or previous plantings and replace them with a good quality mulch consisting of leaves, twigs and larger chips. A mixed mulch of at least 10cm thick will ensure a gradual breakdown over an extended period of time. Mulch not only helps to retain moisture and cycle nutrients, but it also limits competition from weeds. If you are lucky, native ground covers will move in to colonise the site and create a “living mulch” which will reduce upkeep. Native groundcovers such as Blue Commelina Commelina cyanea and Native Violet Viola banksii can be manually introduced into the site by taking sods from established colonies in your yard. As the garden matures it will become self mulching, and it is important to leave as much of this material in place as this feeds the plants and creates cool moist soil. Using your plant spacing ratios from the PLANT ADVICE TABLES below, begin by laying out your larger plants, working down the list from largest to smallest. This will help to spread your larger trees out around the planting site and avoiding immediate competition between plants. It is important to remember that you want to close the canopy as soon as possible, so plant fast growing pioneer plants such as Bleeding Heart Omalanthus populifolius and Kangaroo Apple Solanum aviculare will help protect your other trees while they establish. Both Bleeding Heart and Kangaroo Apple are relatively short lived species which can quickly fill an empty space whilst adding colour and variety to any garden, even if you are not attempting to create a full rainforest habitat. Because Littoral Rainforest species are hardy you will only want to close the canopy on the windward side, edge sealing on other sides is not as critical as it would be if you were planting Lowland Subtropical Rainforest. Planting a ladder of plants with the lowest ones on the edge with for example Mat-rushes that are hardy and fast growing. These will seal edges quickly, preventing weeds from invading. Lomandra are a very attractive bushy grass with beautifully perfumed flowers and grow to approximately 1m in diameter, which also

helps make their planting quite cost effective. The next row in should be a little higher and so on. Plan to include other landscape features such as rocks and logs which provide fauna habitat for insects, reptiles, birds and mammals, increasing sources of food or places to shelter. Once your trees increase their height and trunk width you can begin to add substitutes for mature forests by installing next boxes in the place of hollows. These will provide places for birds, mammals or micro bats to shelter or breed and add another interesting dynamic to your garden. Epiphytes such as Birds Nest Ferns Asplenium australasicum, Elk and Stag Horns Platycerium bifurcatum can also be added to trees, palms, posts, walls, verandas or balconies.

Plant species: Consult: Gardeners Littoral Rainforest species list.xlsx

PLANT GALLERY

Beach Lily Crinum pedunculatum Coogera Arytera divaricata

Cunjevoi Allocasia brisbanensis Brush Mistletoe Amylotheca dictyophlebia

Tall Everlasting Helichrysum elatus Slender Palm-lily Cordyline stricta

Beach Hibiscus Hibiscus tiliaceus Wait-a-while Smilax australis foliage.

PLANT GALLERY

Tuckeroo Trunk Cupaniopsis anachardioides Screw Pine Trunk Pandanus tectorius

Beach Daisy Melanthera biflora used as a lawn edging. This FRONTLINE species provides habitat for Variegated Wrens.

Headland Everlasting Xerochrysum bracteatum. Plant this species and you could attract male Regent Bowerbirds who decorate their bowers with these flowers.

Blue Cherry Syzygium oleosum: clipped Blue Cherry Syzygium oleosum: hedge

ANIMAL GALLERY

Not an animal you say: read on. Birdlime Tree’s fruit Pisonia umbellifera illustrating the gruesome dispersal mechanism. The sticky fruits attract birds who get the easily detached seed pods stuck to their feathers. They fly away with the fruit attached (if they are lucky). Some (but not all can detach the fruit without plucking themselves to bits). Others die with the fruit attached; form the tree’s perspective: probably with a great addition of blood and bone fertiliser to begin the new seedling’s life as a one of Nature’s most unusual trees!

Regent Bowerbird sericulus chrysocephalus Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornata

Brahminy Kite Haliastur Indus © Wikepedia uses Littoral Rainforest corridors.

Scarlet Jezebel. © Wikepedia. The larvae of this butterfly rely on Coast Mistletoe, which grows on a number of Littoral Rainforest plants including Coast Banksia Banksia integrifolia.

ANIMAL GALLERY

Red-backed Fairy Wren malurus melanocephalu © Wikepedia s. Prefers long grass near rainforest.

Variegated Fairy Wren, Malurus lambertii © Wikepedia. Likes rainforest shrubs near long grass

Australian Brush Turkey Alectura lathami. © Mossman Council, NSWWikepedia

Lace Monitor Varanus varius © Wikepedia

FRONTLINE vs SECONDLINE SPECIES

FRONTLINE species can withstand full exposure to salt-laden (and even storm force winds). Fortunately we have many such species in your Gardeners Littoral Rainforest species list.xlsx from which to choose. Here the plant is Screw Pine Pandanus tectorius which has the added uniqueness of its foliage, form, fruits and prop roots. Such species are useful as specimens plants or as your first slat in your storm shutter, should your planting project be in the frontline of salt-laden winds.

The difference between FRONTLINE species such as Coast Banksia B. integrifolia which here, is head and shoulders above those below that are SECONDLINE (in this case Brushbox Lophostemon confertus and other Littoral Rainforest species), which can still grow in exposed situations, but adapt by growing away from the prevailing salt-laden winds

PLANTING ADVICE TABLES: plant numbers and plant spacing for rural and urban situations

RURAL: large areas that are generally not space-constrained Planting situation

LIFE-FORM

Based on 1 ha area (100m x 100m) Maximum numbers (based on 1ha unit area

of plantable area)

Minimum spacing (m) (between plants in same life-form category)

Full restoration planting

for each ha of land (large properties: no

services)

Rural Residential (>40m from the

house or services)

Strangler figs 100m 1

Emergent trees 25m 2 2

Large-medium canopy trees 20m 100 100

Small canopy trees-large shrubs

10m 400 400

Shrubs-small vines 1m to 5m 1,537 1,537

Groundcovers 0.1m-2m 7,960 7,960

Epiphytes Yes Yes Yes

TOTAL PLANTS PER UNIT AREA 10,000 9,999

URBAN SITUATIONS: small or space-constrained areas

LIFE-FORM

Based on 0.01 ha area (10m x 10m) Planting situation

Minimum spacing (m) (between plants in same life-form category)

Maximum numbers (based on 100 square metre unit area of plantable area; or fractions thereof)

Large' urban area

(>100sqm) Standard' urban area (<50sqm)

Small' urban area (<25sqm)

Unit courtyard (<15sqm)

Apartment balcony (<10sqm)

Large-medium canopy trees 20m 1 0 0 0 0

Small canopy trees-large shrubs 10m 2 1 0 0 0

Shrubs-small vines 1m to 5m 4 3 2 1 0

Groundcovers 0.1m-2m 25-100 25-50 10 5 5

Epiphytes N/a Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

TOTAL PLANTS PER UNIT AREA - 32 - 107* 28 - 54* 12 6 5

*Numbers vary and are dependent upon the dimensions of individuals plant species selected from Gardner’s Littoral Rainforest species list.xlsx

References:

Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia: A nationally threatened ecological community. Policy Statement 3.9. http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/19747170-3fd3-4930-9ca5-6ca89508b571/files/littoral-rainforest.pdf

Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia Profile: http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicshowcommunity.pl?id=76