Promoting the growing and conservation of native plants
In gardens, community areas and their original environments

APS work is focused in local District Groups which meet monthly, usually in the evening.

A typical meeting will have a speaker on a topic of interest, such as rejuvenating an old garden, and a "specimen table" of spectacular flowers from members' gardens.

Addressing today's issues

Climate change and the need to reduce the environmental impact of our society have made us all aware of the need to conserve water and adopt sustainable practices. Low water usage gardening using drought tolerant Australian natives suited to your local climate, and sustainable gardening practices are contributions we can all make.

Bringing together people who enjoy growing Australia's unique flora

Regular garden visits and bush walks are peppered throughout the year, providing an opportunity to view how plants of interest grow in your local area.

Green Finger or Brown Thumb - there's always help on hand

Chat with fellow members of your local District Group - most likely someone has the knowledge to help you.

Ask a question at a District Group meeting.

Post a question on the Open Forum on this web site.

Borrow a book. Many District Groups have a lending library covering topics ranging from garden design and plant identification to the selection and cultivation of native plants that suit your local environment.

Attend state-wide weekend meetings, which are held each quarter, and participate in field days and seminars.

Learn from practical demonstrations and hands-on sessions with experts, which are part of every District Group's program.

Read articles in the many Society newsletters and magazines, which are shared right across the state.

Catering for your special interests

If you are already a fan of a particular Australian plant, garden design, bush foods, bonsai, or a host of other topics, one of our Study Groups will cater for your needs. Whether it's banksias, ferns, indigenous orchids, eucalypts or eremophilas, to name just a few, there's a group of people who share your interest.

Acacias (Wattles) make excellent garden plants and there is sure to be one which suits any location in your garden.

Choose from the hundreds of species indigenous to Australia which come from climate zones ranging from coastal to mountain areas and the arid inland, and in sizes from prostrate shrubs through to large shade trees. Many species are quick growing and are a good way of rapidly removing the stark, empty look of a new garden.

For most people the appearance of the showy bright golden yellow, light cream or white flower heads of wattles in late winter heralds the coming of spring. In many species the seed heads which form after flowering are also attractive to look at, extending the enjoyment gained from the plant and providing an important food source for birds.

While almost all Acacia flowers are yellow / white, one species, Acacia purpureopetala, has mauve flowers and a cultivar of Acacia leprosa, "Scarlet Blaze", has blood-red flowers.

Most Acacias respond to pruning immediately after flowering. They can be attacked by stem borers, which are controlled by injecting a few millilitres of alcohol into the holes, galls, which are controlled by removing the effected branches, and the Acacia Bug (Eucerocoris tumidiceps) which can damage the foliage.

Propagation is usually from seed which must be pre-treated with boiling water or sandpaper to remove their hard coat which is impervious to water and prevents germination if it is not removed.

Photograph - Cheree Densley

>> Further information about Acacias

>> Selected Acacia species