Flora and Fauna

Our flora

The parklands are home to many plant species. They contain a diversity of flora which includes Eucalypts, Acacias, Melaleucas and numerous wildflowers. We are involved in seed collection and propagation of many of the indigenous plants in the parklands.

Learn more about where you can purchase locally native plants here.

The Plant Nursery

Friends manage a plant nursery and propagate up to 9000 native plants a year for regeneration in the Parks areas. The nursery has a small igloo primarily for propagation of seeds and cuttings and a large igloo for growing on of seedlings.

A shadehouse provides protection for our plants in the summer months. An extensive watering system from large rainwater tanks ensures adequate water is provided throughout the year.

The Friends group has a permit to collect seed and this is undertaken in the bush areas several times a year. Propagating activities including sowing seeds, pricking out seedlings and taking cuttings.

Our fauna

Many species of birds are found in the parklands such as rosellas, lorikeets, kookaburras, wrens and cockatoos. There are also numerous water birds including pelicans, egrets and ducks.

We have constructed and installed nesting boxes for birds, possums and bats. Members of the group conduct bird watching on a regular basis.

We maintain nesting boxes on a regular basis. Once a year, Friends undertake a boat trip on Jells Park lake to refurbish the nesting boxes for the Chestnut Teal ducks.

To learn more about locally native wildife, visit Monash Council’s website here.

More information

Indigenous plants

Monash Gardens for Wildlife Program has a wealth of information on indigenous planting, habitat gardening and where to source species. You can download their information booklet here, to learn more about indigenous species and weeds.

Weeds

As well as those detailed in the Monash Gardens for Wildlife booklet, we tackle other weeds- particularly affecting Shepherds Bush and our gardens. Here are a few we see commonly in the bush and parklands:

  • Wild gladiolus

    Has hundreds of corms and cormils which allow it to take over areas and spread far and wide.

  • Bridal creeper

    Looks delicate but can have an enormous number of bulbs underneath, also spreads by berries. We remove by digging deep to remove all the bulbs massed beneath.

  • Panic veldt grass

    Common in many gardens. It seeds frequently and outcompetes other native grasses and plants.