Ozothamnus diosmifolius

Rice Flower, White Dogwood, Sago Bush at Ainslie, ACT

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Identification history

Ozothamnus diosmifolius	9 Dec 2016	BettyDonWood
Ozothamnus diosmifolius	9 Dec 2016	BettyDonWood
Ozothamnus rosmarinifolius	9 Nov 2016	BettyDonWood
Unidentified	8 Oct 2016	SilkeSma

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Significant sighting

MichaelMulvaney noted:

4 Jan 2017

Sago Bush although common on the NSW coast has only twice been recorded in the ACT, both via CNM. The other record was by Michael Bedingfield on Tuggeranong Hill - this is a first for north ACT.

19 comments

BettyDonWood wrote:

9 Oct 2016

Possibly a Cassinia. A photo when the flowers are right out would be a lot easier to ID.

SilkeSma wrote:

10 Nov 2016

Two more photos, but the flowers are still not quite out.

BettyDonWood wrote:

10 Nov 2016

This is a very tentative ID. I would prefer to see photos when the flowers are a lot more mature.

MichaelMulvaney wrote:

10 Nov 2016

Silke if you could keep an eye on this and photograph again when in full flower that would be great Ozothamnus rosmarinifoloius is currently only known from one location in the ACT, Rolley's Flat in Namadgi

SilkeSma wrote:

10 Nov 2016

Yes, I'll certainly do that. I'm quite curious myself ever since I saw it first.

SilkeSma wrote:

9 Dec 2016

Finally, we have a flower!

BettyDonWood wrote:

10 Dec 2016

Ozothamnu diosmifolius has been recorded on Tuggerang Hill in 2000. I have always thought of it as a coastal species, where it is very common. I have never seen it with pink buds before. Michael Mulvaney is away on holiday. If anyone out there has a collecting licence, could you pick a bit including stem, leaves and flowers, and take it into ANBG for confirmation.

waltraud wrote:

19 Sep 2017

I'm currently updating the Mts Ainslie Majura Flora list. I wonder whether a specimen was brought to the ANBG for id? Ozothamnu diosmifolius is not listed on the ACT Census of Vascular plants so I think there might be some interest...
W

MichaelMulvaney wrote:

19 Sep 2017

I think Silke is away at the moment, so not sure if a specimen was lodged. Also the pink form, single plant and it's Mt Ainslie location makes me wonder whether it may be a garden escapee, but then Micahel B did find another shrub at a more isolated location on Tuggernong Hill.

waltraud wrote:

19 Sep 2017

thanks Michael
there is a cultivar Ozothamnus diosmifolius ‘Coral Flush’ Rice Flower available in the Garden industry (white forms are also available); see
http://www.gardeningwithangus.com.au/ozothamnus-diosmifolius-coral-flush-rice-flower/
So given the isolated plant and pink form I think you are right reg garden escapee.

MichaelMulvaney wrote:

19 Sep 2017

Yes, Probably is a garden escapee, but the precautionary approach is to treat it as a locally rare species until we know otherwise

waltraud wrote:

5 Oct 2022

Hi there
if no further enlighting info, I'd consider this a cultivar/garden escapee and treat it as a non-local.
Silke have you been there again and collected material for id?

Tapirlord wrote:

5 Oct 2022

That is my feeling also for what its worth, however I can't imagine this is spreading so I wouldn't bother with removal.

waltraud wrote:

5 Oct 2022

thanks tapirlord.
I agree that it is unlikely to spread significantly but where there is one ...
I'm concerned about how to list this garden escapee on our Flora list; I do not agree with the rare native status.

MichaelMulvaney wrote:

5 Oct 2022

Waltraud this opens an interesting debate - with Climate Change we are now getting many tens of Superb Parrots and tens of Swift Parrots feeding on Red Hill. Because they didn't naturally do this before should we be shooting these birds as not belonging? In my mind it is not to far a jump to think that local plants will also change distribution with climate change and that plants that used to be at or close to their distribution limit in the ACT, such as Sago Bush, may spread. What we need to monitor is if this spread is detrimental or beneficial re overall local biodiversity. There are remnant patches of Sago Bush further west than the ACT and it is not impossible that the plant on Mt Ainslie is also a remnant, though admittedly this is unlikely. So I would not be too hasty to remove it.

waltraud wrote:

5 Oct 2022

Michael et al
this is a misunderstanding: I have no plans to remove the plant physically from Mt Ainslie.
The question for me is what its current status is: CNM considers the status rare local however I think from the info available it is an escaped cultivar. This is not a discussion of whether or not it provides habitat or whether it might provide habitat in the future.
I don't doubt that introduced plants - Australian or Exotic - provide habitat. We on mt majura think long before removing plants including exotics and usually plant first suitable locals before we remove for instance Hawthorn or African Boxthorn thickets.
And of course, parrots go where they find food including the nomadic Swift Parrot; I think the limiting factor for them is the breeding habitat ie suitable tree hollows and suitable tree species in the surrounding of the breeding habitat for food etc...

MichaelMulvaney wrote:

6 Oct 2022

Thanks Waltraud - sorry for the mis-understanding. I think you are right to consider it most likely a garden escapee or as I suspect has happened on Red Hill - some-one has planted a non-local native plant in the bush -

waltraud wrote:

6 Oct 2022

Thanks Michael. We had people planting Opuntia - you can't beat that :-)

Mike wrote:

6 Oct 2022

Fig trees. We’ve had Opuntia as well.

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