In the garden with Spencer Shaw
Perhaps there are as many ways to start a story as there are for plants to grow in our local forests. Some of the many form’s plants may take are grasses, herbs, ferns, groundcovers, shrubs, trees, epiphytes and for this story – vines.
Vines are a dominant feature of our rainforests, in fact many local rainforest types are classified as Vine Forest because the vines are such a crucial part of their structure. Perhaps the most notorious is Calamus muelleri – Lawyer Cane, infamous for its ability to hold onto you once it has gotten its hooks in (hence the name Lawyer… )More importantly it is called Jini by the Jinibara People, as they are the People of the Calamus.
Not all of our local forest vines are out there waiting to attack when a human walks within coo-ee of their patch of scrub (some may call this karma!). Some are too busy reaching as high as they can into the forest canopy in a race for light with other vines and trees. Some vines in this group include the Native Grapes and Water vines Cissus sp.’s. We also have Native Pepper vine Piper hederaceum that produces a spice similar to the black pepper. But wait there’s more, we have several Native Passionfruit Vines – Passiflora sp. Whose fruit wouldn’t win any bushfood awards but have stunning flowers. There is also the Richmond Birdwing vine that attracts the beautiful Richmond Birdwing butterfly. The Wonga or Bower of Beauty vines Pandorea sp.’s and Native Wisteria Callerya megasperma are both spectacular flowering plants. And the list goes on…
Fences and Pergolas are the perfect place for enjoying our local vines. So, my advice is to get out there and liase with a liana, cooperate with a climber, tango with a tendril and vouch for a vine. Because it’s time for you to invite a local vine into your life!