Valley Lake Conservation Park Ecosystems Display (Mount Gambier)

This garden was established with the help of volunteers including local home-school students in July 2015.

 

Coastal Plants

The South East’s coastal ecosystem is dynamic and diverse. The coastal dunes are inhabited by groundcovers, sedges and grasses, and low shrubs.

 

Austral Trefoil (Lotus australis) (R.Thompson)

Austral Trefoil,
Lotus australis (R.Thompson)

 

A groundcover which produces abundant pink pea-shaped flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Small-fruit Fanflower, Scaevola albida (R.Thompson)

Small-fruit Fanflower, Scaevola albida (R.Thompson)

 

A delicate groundcover, popular with insects, with small white fan-shaped flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dune Fanflower, Scaevola calendulacea (R.Thompson)

Dune Fanflower, Scaevola calendulacea (R.Thompson)

 

Grows prostrate (along the ground), and has hairy leaves and blue fan-shaped flowers. Vulnerable in South Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coast Bitter-bush, Adriana quadripartita (R. Thompson)

Coast Bitter-bush, Adriana quadripartita (R.Thompson)

 

A shrub which is the only food source for larvae of the Saltbush Blue butterfly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coastal Sword-sedge, Lepidosperma gladiatum (R.Thompson)

Coastal Sword-sedge, Lepidosperma gladiatum (R.Thompson)

 

A common coastal plant, the flowers appear to come from the ends of the sword-like leaves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coast Stackhousia, Stackhousia spathulata (K. Sparrow)

Coast Stackhousia, Stackhousia spathulata (K.Sparrow)

 

Grows erect in the foredune and has thick fleshy leaves

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cushion Bush, Leucophyta brownii (R.Thompson)

Cushion Bush, Leucophyta brownii (R.Thompson)

 

Low shrub with silver-grey foliage, and yellow honey-scented flowers in spring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sand Ixodia, Ixodia achillaeoides spp. arenicola (R.Thompson)

Sand Ixodia, Ixodia achillaeoides spp. arenicola (R.Thompson)

 

Low growing shrub with deep green foliage and small white daisy flowers. Grows on coastal cliffs. Vulnerable in Australia, and Endangered in South Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holly Grevillea, Grevillea aquifolium (R.Thompson)

Holly Grevillea, Grevillea aquifolium (R.Thompson)

 

Prostrate shrub with holly-shaped leaves, and bright pink flowers in spring Rare in South Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Correa, Correa reflexa (B.Haywood)

Common Correa, Correa reflexa (B.Haywood)

 

A common and widespread shrub in many ecosystems. Produces dusky pink bell-shaped flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honeypots, Acrotriche serrulata

Honeypots,
Acrotriche serrulata

 

Low-growing shrub with narrow and short leaves. Flowers give off strong scent of honey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coast Daisy-bush, Olearia axillaris (R.Thompson)

Coast Daisy-bush,
Olearia axillaris (R.Thompson)

 

Medium shrub growing to about two metres, with large white daisy flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coast Pomaderris, Pomaderris paniculosa ssp. paralia

Coast Pomaderris,
Pomaderris paniculosa ssp. paralia

 

Shrub with shiny oval shaped leaves with white hairy undersides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oval-leaf Logania, Logania ovata (R.Thompson)

Oval-leaf Logania,
Logania ovata (R.Thompson)

 

An erect shrub with many small white flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sticky Daisy-bush, Olearia glutinosa (B.Haywood)

Sticky Daisy-bush,
Olearia glutinosa (B.Haywood)

 

Dense shrub with sticky leaves, and white flowers with pinkish centres. Endangered in South Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wetland Plants

 

Grass Trigger-plant, Stylidium graminifolium (D.Duval, B.Haywood)

Grass Trigger-plant,
Stylidium graminifolium (D.Duval, B.Haywood)

 

Has grass-like leaves and produces a single flower-stem with multiple flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scented Paper-bark, Melaleuca squarrosa (B.Haywood)

Scented Paper-bark,
Melaleuca squarrosa (B.Haywood)

 

Medium sized shrub with white bottlebrush flowers which grows around the edges of wetlands. Rare in South Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long Purple-flag, Patersonia occidentalis (C.Dickson)

Long Purple-flag,
Patersonia occidentalis (C.Dickson)

 

Has strappy grass-like leaves. Each flower-stem holds one purple flower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Large tussock-grass, Carex fascicularis and Carex tereticaulis (B.Hsywood)

Carex fascicularis and Carex tereticaulis (B.Haywood)

 

Large tussock-grass type sedge with long slender bright green leaves. The leaves are very sharp on their edges. Tall flower spike up above the foliage with an abundance of brown to black seeds.

 

 

 

 

 

Grassy Woodland Plants

 

Fuzzy New Holland Daisy, Vittadinia cuneata var. cuneata, (R.Thompson)

Fuzzy New Holland Daisy,
Vittadinia cuneata var. cuneata (R.Thompson)

 

Small plant with showy erect flowerstems to 60 cm tall with fluffy white flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gorse Bitter-pea, Daviesia ulicifolia (R.Thompson)

Gorse Bitter-pea,
Daviesia ulicifolia (R.Thompson)

 

Grows to about two metres and has small yellow and red pea-shaped flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pomaderris obcordata (R.Thompson)

Pomaderris obcordata (R.Thompson)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heath Daisy-bush, Olearia floribunda (R.Thompson)

Heath Daisy-bush, Olearia floribunda (R.Thompson)

 

Medium shrub growing to about two metres, with large white daisy flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet Bursaria, Bursaria spinosa (R.Thompson)

Sweet Bursaria,
Bursaria spinosa (R.Thompson)

 

Large, prickly shrub. Important for birds and butterflies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jumping-Jack Wattle, Acacia enterocarpa (P.Tucker)

Jumping-Jack Wattle,
Acacia enterocarpa (P.Tucker)

 

Medium shrub. Grows around Keith in the Upper South East. Endangered in Australia and South Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pink Bindweed, Convolvulus angustissima (R.Thompson)

Pink Bindweed,
Convolvulus angustissima (R.Thompson)

 

Trailing plant with round pink flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Lilies, Arthropodium strictum, Arthropodium fimbriatum (B.Haywood)

Chocolate Lilies, Arthropodium strictum,
Arthropodium fimbriatum (B.Haywood)

 

Have grass-like leaves and a tall flower stem with multiple purple flowers. Flowers are chocolate-scented, giving the plant its common name.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yellow Buttons, Common Everlasting, Chrysocephalum apiculatum (R.Thompson)

Yellow Buttons, Common Everlasting,
Chrysocephalum apiculatum (R.Thompson)

 

Common grey leaves perennial with golden flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flax-lily, Dianella revoluta (B.Haywood)

Flax-lily, Dianella revoluta (B.Haywood)

 

Small creeping tussock, dark blue flowers with black anthers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kangaroo Island Pomaderris, Pomaderris halmaturina spp. halmaturina

Kangaroo Island Pomaderris, Pomaderris halmaturina spp. halmaturina

 

Large shrub up to 4 metres tall. Wrinkled leaves are dark green above, and white and fuzzy on the underside. The flowers are white to pink. Vulnerable in Australia, and South Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trailing Hop-bush, Dodonaea procumbens (D.Duval)

Trailing Hop-bush,
Dodonaea procumbens (D.Duval)

 

Low-growing shrub. Vulnerable in Australia, and South Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Native Hollyhock, Malva preissiana (R.Thompson)

Native Hollyhock,
Malva preissiana (R.Thompson)

 

Tall plant with large dark green leaves and pink, white, or pale purple flowers. Roots were an Indigenous food source.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Silver Daisy-bush, Olearia pannosa spp. pannosa (D.Duval)

Silver Daisy-bush,
Olearia pannosa spp. pannosa (D.Duval)

 

Spreading shrub with oval-shaped leaves and small white flowers.
Vulnerable in Australia, and South Australia.