Red-fruited Palm-lily Cordyline rubra

By: Michael Fox

Greg Neill’s Pollinator Link garden is an urban forest nestled on the edge of one of the appropriately named Coorparoo Finger Gullies.

Greg’s garden has: Water provided with birdbaths and frog pond, Food, like the Red-fruited Palm-lily Cordyline rubra, for fruit eating birds and Shelter like the termite nest used by Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae family.

Red-fruited Palm-lily with its distinctive red fruit and its narrow format (4m height and 50cm spread) is a useful plant for narrow borders or difficult corners.

Common Crow butterfly on Pink-flowered Doughwood

Rainbow Lorikeets Trichoglossus haematodus and Common Crow Euploea core butterflies visit to feed on nectar of the Pink-flowered Doughwood Melicope elleryana tree.

Wattle Blue Theclinesthes miskini

Other butterflies in the garden include Wattle Blue Theclinesthes miskini and Bordered Rustic  Cupha prosope – caterpillar found.

Sightings have been uploaded to Bowerbird as part of our Pollinator Link research project. Bowerbird is a simple to use citizen science database that also feeds into the Atlas of Living Australia providing valuable information planning restoration of city Bushcare sites.

Creek Lily seed

Creek Lily Crinum pedunculatum adds to the rainforest feel of Greg’s garden and it attractive white flowers are very popular with Stingless Native Bees Tetragonula sp.

Scented Daphne Phaleria clerodendron and Giant Spear Lily Doryanthes palmeri are other species that create the rainforest habitat.

Frog Pond

The frog pond is home to Striped Marsh Frogs Limnodynastes peroni.

Fiery Skimmer Dragonfly Orthetrum villosovittatum

The frog pond also attracts fun species like the Fiery Skimmer Dragonfly Orthetrum villosovittatum.

Little Kurrajong Brachychiton bidwillii

The distinctive Brachychiton species like the Little Kurrajong Brachychiton bidwillii are an interesting addition to Brisbane gardens.

Finger Lime Citrus australasica

Finger Lime Citrus australasica  are indigenous to south-east Queensland and food plant for Orchard Swallowtail Papilio aegeus and Dainty Swallowtail Papilio anactus butterflies.

Finger Limes are interesting additions to your bushfood garden planting. Unlike better known oranges and lemons the juice is packaged in small capsules that look a bit like caviar and explode in your mouth as you bite down.