Tropical Zone Gardening: Restless natives of the Top End, 1 by tropicbreeze

tropicbreeze wrote:
Taking tours through places is always interesting, especially if you haven't been there before, and more so if you think you'll never get the opportunity to get there anyway. Or maybe you only need a gentle nudge to tip the balance and make you determined to get there.

So, a virtual tour of Top End natives (of the flora type, of course) seems in order here.

The Top End is that geographic area generally taking in the projection of the Northern Territory that you see on maps of Australia. It's a large area, much of which is Aboriginal land, national parks, and open range for cattle grazing.

Most of it is termed tropical savanna woodland, there are also numerous other environments/ecosystems. It lies between 12 - 15 degrees south latitude within the monsoon zone giving very distinct alternating wet/dry seasons, and is sub-equatorial.

There's coastal and estuarine plant communities with very rich mangrove flora. Saltflats with samphire and other salt tolerant species. Vast floodplains, wooded parts dominated by Melaleucas. Woodland, sandstone escarpment, and sandstone plateau no more than 500 metres altitude.

There's a wide range of ecosystems and microclimates with a diverse and rich array of flora. Anyway, so much for the intro, although I feel it's necessary, being a part of the world few outsiders know anything about.

22 March 2009: PLEASE NOTE, I'M GOING TO EDIT EACH POST TO LABEL THE PHOTO WITH A NUMBER SO IT WILL BE EASIER TO REFER BACK TO.

First photo is the flower of an Amorphophallus paeonifolius. This one is growing in a large pot at home. They're fairly common along some of the rivers but not often noticed since they come out when the rains commence and river levels rise.

Photo 001

This message was edited Mar 22, 2009 11:48 AM