The Australian Section

The Australian section comprises over 18 acres of plants, trees and shrubs from the continent of Australia. The precipitation experienced by in Australia is varied, from under 5 inches a year in the central desert to over 50 inches of rain on the eastern coast. Even in the higher rainfall areas of Australia severe droughts can occur sporadically. This has lead to many Australian trees and shrubs being very drought tolerant, being able to go dormant for rather long periods of time. This tendency to be able to withstand drought makes Australian trees and shrubs seemingly good candidates for horticultural use here in Southern California, however since many have also adapted to the frequent and intense fires that sweep many parts of Australia by becoming even more flammable, selecting these plant for Southern California should be done with caution.