Australian Native Plants Courses

Learn about the identification, botany and culture (planting, watering, feeding, propagation) of the wattles. Around 50 species are studied in detail. You also learn about the commercial uses of Acacias as building materials, food plants, for tanning, craft, etc.

Acacias have more uses than most people realize,  the most obvious use is as a garden plant or as timber.  Acacias are also grown and harvested for a whole range of other purposes:

• Did you realize that Gum Arabic comes from Acacias?
• Did you know Acacias can improve soil fertility?
• Did you realize that some African tribes use Acacias as a major food source for livestock?
• Do you realize, some Acacias are used to supply medicines?
•  Do you realize native peoples in Australia, Africa and other places eat seeds, flowers, gum and other things harvested from Acacias

Explore a Whole New World of Gardening and Culinary Delights

There are thousands of plants from Australia that can be used as foods. These include fruits, vegetables and nuts you may well have never thought about, let alone tasted; as well as flavourings, extracts and additives that can be used with traditional foodstuffs to create a whole new slant on culinary experience. This is a course that may be equally valuable and relevant to a nurseryman, naturalist, cook, restaurateur, or anyone else.

Become an Expert with Australian Ferns

Learn which ferns occur naturally in Australia, how to identify them, where to obtain accurate information on them, how to propagate them, growing and using ferns in baskets, terrariums, and landscapes.

Australia has one of the oldest and most diverse varieties of plants of an country. Australian natives come from tropical areas to cold temperate snow covered mountains, and from inland deserts to fertile wet rainforests. Develop your ability to identify, select, cultivate and plan a management program, for appropriate varieties of Australian native plants, in a wide variety of situations.  This is relevant to not only Australia, but most parts of the world.

Learn to Grow and Use Australian Wildflowers and Shrubs 

This course deals with both woody (hard wooded) and herbaceous (soft wooded), low growing Australian Native Plants, which bear showy flowers.
The focus is on small shrubs and ground covers.

Comment from one of our Australian Natives II students:
"The plant recognition assignments were challenging and a great help for the future" D. Sydenham

Learn to Grow and Identify Eucalypts

An introduction to the genus Eucalyptus, covering identification, culture (propagation, soils, landscape uses, feeding), and uses. Throughout the course you build both a knowledge of the group as a whole, and of the range of species you can identify.

 Become an Expert on Grevilleas

This eight lesson course provides a thorough grounding in identifying, growing and using grevilleas.

Grevilleas are a wide group of plants, all but seven species coming from Australia. They are widespread across Australia, occurring in both cool temperate, and hot tropical climates. There are around 250 species. About half of these are native to the south west corner of Australia.

Learn How to grow Grevilleas by home studies.

Become an Expert in  Australian Trees

Learn to identify, propagate, cultivate and use Australia's indigenous trees in gardens, parks, land rehabilitation, forestry and more.

This course first teaches you about different types of Australian flora, plant identification, information sources, planting, feeding, soils, pests and diseases, watering, propagation and transplanting.

The remaining lessons then deal with selected varieties of trees, windbreak planting, agroforestry, tree maintenance and tree selection.