Back from the Brink - Norfolk Island Rare Plant Propagation

Here are some highlights from our 12 months on Norfolk Island (2017).  We propagated a range of native and endemic Norfolk Island plants, some of which are on the brink of extinction:

• Melicytus latifolius (Norfolk Melicytus) propagated easily from cuttings

• Calystegia affinis (Bindweed) seeds germinated like weeds (it is related to the weed Morning Glory)

• Plumbago zeylanica (Norfolk Plumbago) cuttings struck easily and quickly.  6 months after sowing, Thanksgiving Day arrived with a show of delicate white flowers (see photo on this page)

• Elatostema montanum (Mountain Procras) cuttings took root from every cutting, including leaves and stems

At the conclusion of the project, any plants that we had left on the nursery benches were donated to local landholders and Parks Australia (Norfolk Island Office).