Australian Succulents
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This website is dedicated to increasing the awareness, appreciation, conservation and cultivation of Australian native succulent plants.
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xDisphyllum 'Sunburn' A new Australian hybrid succulent plant of distinction has been released - March 2012. Bred under a harsh summer sun, it is a plant truly symbolic of Australia - green and gold, and with the name 'Sunburn'. More details and pictures click here
A new Ant Plant book only available on DVD written and self published by Derrick (Didge) Rowe of New Zealand is now available for $AUD 60.00 posted in Australia and posted to rest of the world $AUD 65.00. Title: Ant-Plants: Arboreal Wonders of Nature 130 pages, A4 full colour throughout with black and white line drawings by the author. Exceptional habitat photographs and information about these weird and wonderful plants. Anyone who likes succulents, caudiciforms, carnivorous plants or just the unusual, will find this book fascinating and worthwhile.
All proceeds from the sale of this book will go to The Cactus & Succulent Society of Australia. The author has kindly donated all proceeds from his books sale, therefore no profit will go to either the author or to us on this website. ................................................................... A new Australian Calandrinia species from Western Australia with bright yellow flowers has been known and around in cultivation for some time, but only now is it going to be named as a new species. Most Australians only recognise Calandrinia as having only pink or perhaps white flowers, so this will come as a real surprise! I have been growing this Australian Calandrinia in Melbourne for a few years and it seems quite easy to raise and grow from seed outdoors. |
Does Australia have any worth knowing or growing? Australia has almost no native succulents; except for a few barely fleshy weeds, unlike the well-known rich diversity of succulents in Africa. This has been a long-standing and widespread view. Even the world famous British cactus & succulent author, Gordon Rowley in1978 also supported this view in his book "The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Succulents"™ Salamander Books UK (page 36).
In the year 2006 this common view was still held worldwide. In Australia in gardening circles and even specialised cacti and succulent groups in all the major cities had little knowledge or awareness of what wonderful succulents could really be found "out there".
In the coming years these succulent plants will increase in popularity partly through this website and the book titled, "Australian Succulent Plants"™.
Succulent plants grow in semi-arid or seasonally dry regions found across most of Australia, sometimes even in tropical and other seasonally wetter parts of the country. In more moist and humid areas, there are some succulent plants that are found in drier micro-habitats, such as on exposed trees or rocks.
Australia can boast at least 400 species that can be regarded as succulent.
Much of Australia has the most irregular rainfall of any continent.
It is a land of drought or deluge, sometimes with little moderation in between.
All the pictures here with this text show a range of very succulent Australian plants photographed near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia in spring 2006.
How many different species are apparent?
How many can you identify?
Plants such as the introduced Bryophyllum delagoense and Opuntia tomentosa and the native Adansonia gregorii, Dendrobium speciosum, Halosarcia bulbosa, Hoya australis and Portulaca oleracea are all Australian succulent plants that share several common features.
They can all be found growing naturally across Australia, all utilise water storage mechanisms in the leaves, stems or roots, and are more sun and dry-tolerant than most plants.
Our PHOTO GALLERY of Australian Succulent Plants includes photographs from the book as well as many never before seen!
Go to our gallery 
Next page: Introduction