
Selected plants in the Hortus
Physianthus elata unidentified
An unidentified Physianthus or Arauja species, twining or climbing perennials. Physianthus is now generally included with Araujia and Physianthus tricolor may be another Araujia species. See Araujia albens (Mart.) D.Don for further discussion.
Added on February 24 2010
Jasminum didymum G.Forst. subsp. lineare (R.Br.) P.Green
Fully-hardy semi-shrub with some twining branches with tri-foliate leaves and small, fragrant cream flowers, to 1cm, usually in autumn. [FNSW, Wrigley, Don]. See also Jasminum didymum G.Forst. subsp. didymum.
Added on January 20 2010
Begonia geraniifolia Hook.
Tuberous-rooted begonia with fleshy, purple-tinted stems, roundish, serrated to lobed, red-edged, green leaves and clusters of pinkish-white flowers. [Krempin].
Added on June 20 2009
Musa acuminata Colla. var. Cavendish group
Frost-tender, upright, variable, suckering perennial with large paddle-shaped leaves and pendant, pear-shaped white, cream or yellow flowers with reddish-purple bracts, in summer, followed by edible yellow fruits. To 6m. There is also a dwarf form, synonym Musa x paradisiaca, growing to 3m. [RHSE, Hortus].
Added on January 20 2009
Pinus cembroides Zucc. var. llaveana (Schiede) Voss
Frost-hardy, variable, evergreen tree with a dense, rounded head, silver-grey bark fissured red-brown, radially arranged, dark green leaves, to 6cm long, in twos or threes, and spherical green female cones, to 4cm across, ripening to brown. To 18m. There are several named varieties, one of which, edulis, has edible nuts. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].
Added on July 20 2009
Dendrobium gibsonii Paxt.
Frost tender, erect, evergreen orchid with racemes of up to 10 flowers, to 7.5 cm across, growing from the upper parts of the pseudobulbs, rich orange in colour, the lips bright yellow with 2 dark spots at the base, in summer. [RHSD].
Added on January 25 2010
Hippeastrum verticilata unidentified
Hippeastrum verticilata is not listed by Herbert or Baker and I have found no reference to this plant.
Added on May 15 2009
News
Improvements to Hortus Camdenensis
The Hortus software has been upgraded. This led to some minor errors in the layout of plant names, particularly in the headings of Plant Profile pages but these have now been largely overcome. Improvements are also progressively being made to the content of the Hortus in three main areas, botanical and horticultural history, cross referencing and illustrations. Some enhancements will be done as the opportunity arises but most will be completed family by family. This will take at least two years to complete.
Published Sep 14, 2010 - 04:06 PM | Last updated Aug 12, 2012 - 04:36 PM
Sir William Macarthur on Vines and Vineyards
Sir William Macarthur wrote extensively on vines and Vineyards. It is our intention to publish all his writings in the Hortus.
Published Aug 01, 2010 - 04:58 PM | Last updated Oct 04, 2010 - 04:47 PM
Working Bee dates
Working Bee dates for 2012.
Published Jun 29, 2010 - 02:59 PM | Last updated Jan 10, 2012 - 05:19 PM
Open House and Gardens
Camden Park House and Gardens will be open to the public on Saturday 22nd September, 2012, from 12.00 noon until 4.00 pm, and Sunday 23rd from 10.00 am until 4.00 pm.
Published Dec 30, 2009 - 02:58 PM | Last updated Jan 09, 2012 - 05:31 PM
Essays
Establishing an Orchard in Colonial Australia
Every Colonial gentleman with a household to maintain needed to keep an orchard of sufficient size to meet the needs of his kitchen and dining table at all times of the year. In 19th century Australia planting trees was an almost entirely manual operation, and establishing an orchard an expensive undertaking. William Macarthur developed a thriving and profitable nursery business in the 1840s, with an extensive and varied catalogue of plants for sale but heavily dependent on trees and shrubs, particularly fruit-bearing trees such as vines, oranges, apples, pears, plums, peaches and apricots. It was in the interests of Macarthur to ensure that the plants he sold were of high quality and that when received by the customer his plants not only survived but thrived and were productive. To this end he published a brief but detailed guide to what needed to be done to ensure that the planting of trees was as successful as possible and provided the best long-term results for his customers.
Published Jun 26, 2010 - 04:30 PM | Last updated Jun 26, 2010 - 04:36 PM
Letters on the Culture of the Vine Part 7: The Vintage (Continued)
Letters on the Culture of the Vine and Manufacture of Wine by Maro, pen-name of William Macarthur. Letters IX, X and XI, reproduced in Part 6, dealt with the vintage, including the theory and practice of fermentation and preparation for winemaking. The vintage is continued in Part 7, letters XII and XIII giving a description of grape harvesting and crushing. The illustration used here is an excellent lithograph showing the grape harvest at the third vineyard at Camden Park in 1878.
The entire book is reproduced in the Hortus in ten parts. For background information and Macarthur’s Introduction to the book see Part 1.
Published Sep 24, 2010 - 05:07 PM | Last updated Jul 21, 2011 - 11:14 AM
A Few Words on Gesneraceous Plants
The family Gesnereaceae was an important contributor to the diversity of the colonial garden of Camden Park, with 97 plants described in the Hortus, mainly from the genera Achimenes and Sinningia. This short article provides a good overview of the history of Gesneriads as garden plants, and some very useful advice on their culture. Unfortunately I have lost the source reference, but the content suggests that it was written for an Australian colonial readership. The article is simply signed L.W.
Published Jun 26, 2010 - 03:01 PM | Last updated Jun 26, 2010 - 03:19 PM
Australian native plants in the Hortus
Australian native plants were important to the gardening enterprises of Camden Park. Even today Australian trees such as Araucaria species, Agathis robusta, Brachychiton populneum, Lagunaria pattersonia, Grevillea robusta and several species of palm very much define the landscape of the gardens. Australian plants, particularly native orchids and ferns, were sent to England in large numbers in exchange for the exotic plants that were so much desired by Macarthur and his fellow colonists.
Published Mar 13, 2010 - 05:22 PM | Last updated Jul 30, 2010 - 02:32 PM
About the Hortus
The Hortus attempts to correctly identify, describe, illustrate and provide a brief history of all the plants grown at Camden Park between c.1820 and 1861.
Plants in the Hortus
The Hortus plants served a wide range of purposes: ornament, living fences, fibre, dyestuffs, medicine, food from the garden and orchard, and many others.
Plant Families
Plants in the Hortus are grouped by Family, perhaps the most useful of the higher order classifications.
Essays
Essays enhance the Hortus by providing a level of detail about the gardens, people, and plants that would be inappropriate for an individual plant profile.
Hortus News
News provides an opportunity for people interested in the gardens to keep in touch with the work being done to maintain and reinvigorate the gardens and receive advance notice of events such as Open Garden days.